About Martyn’s Law

Following the loss of Martyn Hett and 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, began a campaign for a simple idea: that any place welcoming the public should know what to do in the worst moments. Supported by Nick Aldworth, former national counter-terrorism coordinator, and a community of security experts, that campaign became the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known to everyone as Martyn’s Law.

The journey took eight years. First proposed as the Protect Duty, the legislation was consulted on, refined and introduced to Parliament in 2023, receiving Royal Assent on 3 April 2025.

What the law asks

Martyn’s Law is deliberately proportionate. For most premises in scope, it asks for procedures rather than purchases: a plan for evacuation, for moving people to safety inside, for locking down, and for communicating with people on site, carried by staff who know exactly what to do. Larger venues expecting 800 or more people must go further, with documented measures to reduce their vulnerability to attack.

The Act’s ambition is a culture of readiness that protects the openness and vibrancy of public life, not security theatre.