Does Martyn’s Law Apply To Your Premises? Understanding Standard Duty Vs Enhanced Duty

As awareness of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 grows across the UK, one of the most common questions organisations are asking is:

“Does Martyn’s Law apply to us?”

For many employers, venue operators, event organisers and facilities teams, the challenge is not simply understanding the legislation itself. It is understanding whether their premises or events fall within scope and what responsibilities they may have moving forward.

Searches for terms such as:

• does Martyn’s Law apply to my business
• standard duty premises explained
• enhanced duty premises explained
• Martyn’s Law occupancy thresholds
• counter terrorism training requirements

have increased significantly as organisations begin reviewing their preparedness arrangements.

The good news is that the legislation is designed around proportionality. Different duties apply depending on the size and nature of the premises or event involved.

Understanding where your organisation sits is the first step towards practical compliance and effective terrorism preparedness.

What Is Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

The legislation has been introduced to improve public protection and organisational preparedness against terrorist attacks at publicly accessible premises and qualifying events.

Its overall aim is to ensure organisations:

• understand potential terrorism-related risks
• consider vulnerabilities
• improve emergency preparedness
• implement proportionate protective measures
• strengthen public safety arrangements

Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all approach, the legislation separates premises into two categories:

• standard duty premises
• enhanced duty premises and qualifying events

The category your organisation falls into will affect the level of responsibility expected.

What Is A Publicly Accessible Premises?

One of the first considerations under Martyn’s Law is whether a premises is publicly accessible.

In simple terms, this generally means locations where members of the public can enter, attend, visit or gather.

Examples may include:

• hospitality venues
• leisure centres
• entertainment venues
• visitor attractions
• shopping areas
• conference facilities
• public buildings
• event spaces
• sports venues

For many organisations, the key question is not whether they are publicly accessible, but whether their occupancy levels bring them within scope of the legislation.

What Are Standard Duty Premises?

Under Martyn’s Law, standard duty premises are generally those where it is reasonable to expect between 200 and 799 individuals may be present at the same time.

This threshold is important because it determines the level of preparedness expected under the legislation.

Examples of organisations that may fall within the standard duty category include:

• pubs and bars
• restaurants
• smaller music venues
• leisure facilities
• theatres
• community venues
• public-facing offices
• hospitality venues
• educational venues
• smaller visitor attractions

The intention is to ensure organisations take practical and proportionate steps to improve preparedness without creating unrealistic or excessive burdens.

What Are Enhanced Duty Premises And Events?

Enhanced duty premises and qualifying events are locations or events where it is reasonable to expect 800 or more individuals at the same time.

Because larger crowds may increase the potential impact of an incident, enhanced duty organisations are expected to implement broader preparedness and protective arrangements.

This category may include:

• arenas
• stadiums
• festivals
• major conferences
• exhibitions
• large entertainment venues
• large visitor attractions
• qualifying public events

Enhanced duty organisations are likely to require more structured planning, stronger documentation processes, and more detailed public protection arrangements.

Why Occupancy Thresholds Matter

The difference between standard duty and enhanced duty responsibilities is not simply about numbers.

Larger premises and events often involve:

• more complex crowd movement
• multiple access points
• higher public exposure
• increased coordination requirements
• greater communication challenges
• more significant evacuation considerations

This is why enhanced duty responsibilities go further in areas such as:

• public protection measures
• documenting compliance
• layered protective security
• business continuity planning
• incident recovery arrangements

Understanding occupancy expectations is therefore one of the most important early steps in preparing for Martyn’s Law.

What Practical Steps Should Organisations Consider?

Although exact requirements will vary depending on the premises or event, many organisations are already beginning to review:

• emergency procedures
• evacuation arrangements
• communication processes
• staff awareness
• vulnerability assessments
• public protection procedures
• terrorism preparedness planning
• incident response coordination

For many businesses, this is also prompting discussions around competence and training.

This is one reason why searches for:

• counter terrorism training
• terrorism awareness qualifications
• Martyn’s Law courses
• protective security training
• terrorism preparedness qualifications

continue to grow.

NEBOSH Qualifications Supporting Martyn’s Law Preparedness

To support organisations affected by the legislation, NEBOSH has introduced two specialist qualifications focused on terrorism preparedness and public protection responsibilities.

These qualifications are designed for organisations seeking practical understanding rather than specialist operational security expertise.

NEBOSH National Certificate In Protecting Standard Duty Premises From Terrorism

The course focuses on:

• understanding terrorism threats
• recognising vulnerabilities
• public protection procedures
• security culture
• preparedness planning
• proportionate protective measures

It is particularly suitable for:

• facilities managers
• operational managers
• health and safety professionals
• hospitality management
• venue managers
• public-facing organisations

The qualification is highly relevant for organisations searching for:

• Martyn’s Law standard duty training
• counter terrorism awareness training
• terrorism preparedness course
• public protection procedures training
• venue security awareness

NEBOSH National Certificate In Protecting Enhanced Duty Premises And Events From Terrorism

Alongside the shared core content, the course also covers:

• public protection measures
• layered protective security
• documenting compliance
• business continuity
• incident recovery planning
• enhanced preparedness responsibilities

This qualification is particularly relevant for:

• large venues
• event organisers
• stadiums
• major attractions
• large public events
• compliance and operations teams

It is also highly relevant for searches such as:

• enhanced duty Martyn’s Law training
• terrorism compliance qualification
• event security training
• protective security qualification
• terrorism preparedness for events

Why Health And Safety Teams Are Becoming Increasingly Involved

One of the major developments surrounding Martyn’s Law is the increasing overlap between terrorism preparedness and traditional health and safety management principles.

Many of the concepts involved are already familiar to health and safety professionals, including:

• risk assessment
• reasonably practicable controls
• emergency planning
• organisational competence
• communication
• coordination
• continual improvement

As a result, many organisations are now involving health and safety teams in terrorism preparedness planning and counter terrorism awareness initiatives.

Final Thoughts

If your organisation operates publicly accessible premises or hosts public events, now is the time to begin understanding how Martyn’s Law may affect your responsibilities.

The key starting point is understanding whether your premises or events fall within the standard duty or enhanced duty category.

From there, organisations can begin considering:

• preparedness arrangements
• public protection procedures
• vulnerability assessments
• emergency planning
• staff awareness
• formal training and competence development

The:

• NEBOSH National Certificate in Protecting Standard Duty Premises from Terrorism
• NEBOSH National Certificate in Protecting Enhanced Duty Premises and Events from Terrorism

provide structured and practical learning routes for organisations looking to improve preparedness and better understand their responsibilities under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.