What is Martyn's Law?
Martyn's Law is the popular name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It is named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017.
The Act creates a new legal duty for venues and premises to take steps to protect the public from terrorist attacks. It applies to premises where it is reasonable to expect that, from time to time, 200 or more people may be there at the same time.
That is not the same as how many people your hall could hold. A hall licensed for 250 that never sees more than 120 at once may well be out of scope, while a hall that usually has 50 but fills up for the annual show or a big party may be in.
When does it come into force?
The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The government has said there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months, so the duties cannot apply before April 2027. The actual start date has not been set yet.
There is nothing you have to do under the Act until it comes into force. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will regulate it, and the government will confirm the date beforehand.
It is still worth working out your reasonable figure now, so you know whether any of this applies to your hall.
Does it affect my village hall?
Village halls and community centres are named in the Act as a type of premises it covers. Whether yours is in scope depends on its reasonable figure: how many people it is reasonable to expect may be there at the same time, from time to time.
Your hall is not in scope for Martyn's Law. It is still sensible for volunteers to know what they would do in an emergency.
Your hall is in scope: Standard Tier from 200 to 799, Enhanced Tier at 800 or more.
It is not simply your fire safety or licensed capacity. Think about the busiest times your hall really has, across all the different ways it is used:
- The greatest number reasonably expected at the same time, not the average over a day or a week
- Busy occasions that happen from time to time count, like an annual show, a dance or a big party
- A one-off, unexpected crowd does not bring you into scope on its own
- Count staff and volunteers working there as well as the public
- Use any reasonable method - booking records, ticket numbers or past events - and keep a note of how you worked it out
The two tiers
The Act creates two tiers, based on your reasonable figure:
200 - 799 people
Many village halls have a reasonable figure under 200 and are not in scope at all. Those that are will usually be in this tier.
- Procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, so far as reasonably practicable
- Make sure staff and volunteers know what to do
- Writing the procedures down is recommended, not required
- Tell the SIA when you become responsible for the premises
800+ people
Larger venues such as concert halls, major sports pavilions, or large conference centres.
- All Standard Tier requirements, plus:
- Public protection measures, so far as reasonably practicable
- A written document of your procedures and measures for the SIA
- A designated senior individual, where the responsible person is an organisation
- Keep the measures under review
What do I need to do?
Start by working out your reasonable figure. If it is 200 or more, these are the steps to take before the Act comes into force:
Work out your reasonable figure
Look at how your hall is really used. What is the most people you can reasonably expect there at the same time, from time to time, including volunteers? Your bookings and past events are good evidence. Write down how you reached the number.
Plan your procedures
Agree how you would evacuate, bring people inside (invacuation), lock down and communicate during an incident. The standard tier does not legally require them to be written down, but it is recommended. You don't need to be a security expert or buy anything.
Brief your volunteers
Make sure the people running the hall know the procedures. Free ACT Awareness e-learning from ProtectUK is a good start, but you do not have to pay for a course.
Notify the SIA
You will need to notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) that your premises falls within scope of the Act. The SIA will set out how to do this before the Act comes into force.
Set a review date
Your procedures should be reviewed regularly - at least annually, or after any significant changes to your venue or how it operates.
Free resources
The government and security agencies provide free resources to help you prepare:
ACT Awareness e-Learning
Free online counter-terrorism awareness training. Takes about 45 minutes and is designed for anyone working or volunteering at a public venue.
ProtectUK
The official government platform for counter-terrorism protective security guidance, including specific advice for community venues.
Security Industry Authority (SIA)
The government body responsible for regulating the private security industry and enforcing Martyn's Law.
Home Office Guidance
The statutory guidance from the Home Office on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
Working out the reasonable figure
ProtectUK's explanation of how to assess how many people may be present at the same time.
How Village Hall Hub helps
Our Martyn's Law wizard is built into Village Hall Hub's Standard and Professional plans. It walks you through every step in plain English - no jargon, no legal fees.
We walk you through working out your hall's reasonable figure and recording how you got there.
Five clear steps from your reasonable figure to SIA notification. Complete them at your own pace.
Pre-written procedure templates for evacuation, lockdown, and communication plans that you can adapt to your hall.
Track which volunteers have completed ACT Awareness training and send reminders to those who haven't.
Clear guidance on how and when to notify the SIA, with tracking to confirm it's been done.
Automatic reminders to review your procedures annually or when changes occur.
See your Martyn's Law compliance status at a glance alongside all your other compliance requirements.
The wizard, in under a minute
What working through Martyn's Law actually looks like, with the steps written out underneath for anybody who would rather read them.
