What Does Martyn’s Law Encourage Venues To Think About?
Martyn’s Law for venues is not just another piece of paperwork for organisations to file away and forget about.
The correct answer to our Monday Knowledge Check is D. All of the above.
Martyn’s Law, officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The purpose of the Act is to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring those responsible for certain public premises and events to consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack. Larger premises and events will also need to consider appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
For venues, this means the conversation should not simply be, “Do we have security?” The better question is, “Are we prepared?”
That preparation starts with public safety. Any venue that welcomes the public has a responsibility to think about how people enter, move around and leave the site. This includes understanding crowded areas, access points, escape routes, vulnerable spaces and how quickly staff could respond if something happened. Public safety is not only about stopping an incident. It is also about reducing confusion, supporting evacuation or lockdown, and helping people get clear instructions under pressure.
Emergency procedures are another major part of the discussion. A written policy is useful, but only if people understand it. Venues should be asking practical questions. What happens if there is a suspicious item? Who makes the decision to evacuate or lock down? How are staff informed? How are visitors updated? Who contacts emergency services? Where do people go? What happens if the main exit is no longer safe?
Government guidance published in 2026 highlights practical steps for smaller premises, including having evacuation routes in place, making sure staff know how to implement lockdown procedures, and ensuring staff know how to communicate quickly with customers if an attack occurs.
Staff awareness is just as important. In many venues, staff are the first people likely to notice when something does not feel right. They may spot unusual behaviour, an unattended item, a person asking unusual questions, or a change in atmosphere before anyone else does. However, staff can only act confidently if they have been given clear guidance and training.
This does not mean turning every member of staff into a security officer. It means giving them simple, practical awareness. Staff should know what to look for, who to report concerns to, how to stay calm, and what their role is during an emergency. The aim is not to create fear. The aim is to create confidence.
Communication procedures are often overlooked, but they are one of the most important parts of any emergency response. A good plan can fail quickly if nobody knows who is meant to speak to whom. Radios, phones, internal messaging, public announcements and staff briefings all need to be considered before an incident, not during one.
The biggest mistake venues can make is treating Martyn’s Law as a compliance exercise only. Yes, there will be legal duties for qualifying premises and events, but the real value is in practical preparation. A venue that understands its risks, trains its staff and has clear procedures will be in a much stronger position than one that simply has a policy sitting in a folder.
Martyn’s Law is expected to have an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, giving organisations time to prepare properly. That time should be used wisely. Venues do not need to wait until the last minute to start improving awareness, planning and procedures.
At Norvic Security Group, we believe protective security should be practical, proportionate and built around the real environment. Every venue is different. A restaurant, hotel, public event, sports ground, business venue or entertainment space will each have different risks, layouts and operating pressures.
Martyn’s Law encourages venues to think beyond the basics. It asks them to consider public safety, emergency procedures, staff awareness and how they would respond if something happened.
So yes, the answer is all of the above.
Because preparation is not about panic. It is about responsibility.