Before getting into what Martyn’s Law requires, it’s worth understanding why the Act exists at all, and why terrorism response sits in a standalone piece of legislation rather than a line in existing law.

Before Martyn’s Law, UK legislation covered a lot of ground on public safety:

• Health and safety legislation covers workplace safety and the safety of visitors on premises.
• Fire safety legislation covers fire prevention, detection, and response.
• Civil contingencies legislation covers emergency response at a governmental level.

What none of these covered, in a way that placed duties on individual in-scope premises, was terrorism response. No legislation required premises open to the public to have documented, practised procedures specifically for a terrorism incident. The assumption was that existing frameworks, or voluntary counter-terrorism guidance, would be enough.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 exists to close that gap.

At its core, Martyn’s Law is about one thing: reducing physical harm if a terrorism incident occurs on an in-scope premises. It does this by requiring premises to prepare, in advance, procedures that support a practised and effective response.

reducing the risk of harm if a terrorism incident occurs

It’s about making sure that when something happens, the premises and its staff have a documented, trained, exercised way of responding, rather than improvising in the moment.

Several reasons shaped the decision to introduce a standalone Act rather than amending existing legislation:

• Scope. Terrorism response has specific requirements that don’t map cleanly onto health and safety or fire frameworks. An evacuation plan for a fire is structurally different to an evacuation plan for a terrorism incident.
• Clarity. A standalone Act gives organisations, regulators, and courts a single, coherent place to find the duties and consequences.
• Enforcement. A standalone Act allows for a dedicated enforcement regime with its own penalties and inspection model.

Political consensus. The Act followed years of consultation, including input from campaigners, with a specific set of duties that needed a specific legislative vehicle.

The Act places duties on in-scope premises under two tiers:

• Standard Tier (200 to 799 individuals reasonably expected from time to time): Four public protection procedures, trained, exercised, and evidenced.
• Enhanced Tier (800+ individuals): All of the above, plus public protection measures, a Responsible Person, and a documented rationale.

Places of worship with 800+ individuals remain in Standard Tier by specific exception.

One phrase in the Act shapes the way duties are applied: “so far as is reasonably practicable.” It’s borrowed from health and safety legislation and means that the depth of your procedures, training, and exercising is calibrated to your premises, your resource, and what it takes in practice to implement.

A small community premises with volunteer governance is not expected to do what a national retailer is. Both are expected to prepare in proportion.

The fastest way to know is our free Am I in Scope? tool. A handful of questions, a clear answer, no account needed.

If you already know you’re in scope, Get Started with Prova Risk to prepare your public protection procedures, train your staff, and keep the evidence you’ll need if inspected. £399 per year per site.

• What Is Martyn’s Law?
• Timeline and Enforcement
• Why Health and Safety and Fire Legislation Don’t Cover Martyn’s Law
• Is Martyn’s Law Mandatory?
• Who Does Martyn’s Law Apply To?