Martyn’s Law

 

MARTYN’S LAW: A NEW EXPOSURE LANDSCAPE FOR BUSINESSES, INSURERS AND BROKERS

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as “Martyn’s Law”, changes the expectations on how certain public premises and events prepare for a terrorist threat. 

This is the biggest shift in UK Counter Terrorism readiness in decades and is in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack. For the first time, it sets a minimum legal standard for how qualifying premises and events prepare for and respond to terrorism to better protect people.

Critically, it requires a named Responsible Person to make sure those measures are in place. They will be legally accountable under this legislation. This establishes clear responsibility that organisations cannot avoid.

 

THE LAW, THE RISK, THE DEADLINE

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as “Martyn’s Law”, requires persons with control of certain premises or events to take steps to reduce the vulnerability from acts of terrorism and reduce the risk of physical harm to individuals arising from acts of terrorism.

The law applies to what are termed “qualifying premises” or “qualifying events” across a wide range of insured risks – including commercial property, education, leisure, retail, hospitality, events and places of worship.

Qualifying premises are based around the usage of the premises and the number of individuals who may be present. If there are between 200 and 799 individuals then the qualifying premises is regarded as being “Standard Duty” premises, while if there are more than 800 then they are regarded as “Enhanced Duty” premises.

Qualifying events are those that fall within certain usage and have more than 800 individuals present. Events of this nature would also have the “Enhanced Duty” requirements.

As with fire safety and health & safety regulation, compliance will increasingly inform risk assessment, insurance policy pricing and the impact of claims. From an insurance perspective, it formalises expectations around foreseeability, preparedness and reasonable steps.

The deadline matters. Enforcement is expected from April 2027. Between now and then, businesses, brokers and insurers face a transition period with those impacted facing:

• Differing levels of readiness and compliance
• Exposure sitting between legacy arrangements and a future regulated standard.

Martyn’s Law does not mandate extreme security measures. It requires demonstrable, proportionate decision making. The key question becomes not “Was an incident unforeseeable?” but “Were reasonable steps taken?”.

Early, structured engagement brings greater clarity and confidence to support clearer decision making.

 

SE24 APPROACH: A CLEAR, STAGED FRAMEWORK FOR INCIDENT PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

SE24 supports businesses, brokers and insurers in understanding terrorism risk and implementing proportionate measures that protect people, operations and reputation.

The approach combines threat awareness, vulnerability assessment, and practical mitigation planning within a structured framework designed to support organisations in meeting the expectations of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

SE24’s structured framework of protection enables those responsible for the control of qualifying premises or events to understand their exposure to terrorism risk and implement proportionate, defensible measures so that they can manage the risk of terrorism through a single, integrated system covering risk assessment, preparedness, response and assurance.

1. Awareness
   Establishes a clear baseline: what the duty requires, how it applies to the specific risk and what proportionate action looks like. This creates early clarity.
2. SME‑Defined Training, AI‑Enabled Delivery
   Subject matter experts lead role‑appropriate training supported by technology, creating consistency of response and an auditable record of preparedness – critical in post‑incident review.
3. Physical Assessment
   Structured identification of vulnerabilities and risks with proportionate mitigation options, providing practical insight into exposure beyond desktop assumptions.
4. Compliance
   Ensuring Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 legislative compliance via the Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulatory body.
5. Full CTRM Review
   Integration of Counter Terrorism Risk Management into wider operational and governance frameworks, producing defensible evidence that reasonable steps were taken.

This framework converts an abstract statutory duty into observable, documentable risk management.

 

WHY SE24: REDUCING IMPACT AND STRENGTHENING INCIDENT RESPONSE

Counter Terrorism expertise at the core
SE24’s capability is underpinned by a team with extensive operational Counter Terrorism experience, enabling proportionate, risk‑based insight into how incidents emerge, escalate and can be disrupted early.

A delivery network that reflects real risk
SE24 Partners including S.T.O.R.M 4, Sovereign Protection, Molt, Suaeda, Altia and PACE First provide expertise to develop proportionate mitigation measures and procedures, across the domains of people, process and technology. This ensures recommendations are realistic and can be implemented.

Technology that creates evidence, not just intention
SE24’s Guardian App and CLIO platform support structured reporting, training reinforcement and audit trails. This shifts preparedness from informal practice to verifiable control.

Demonstrated loss mitigation impact
Across early engagements and pilot sites, SE24 has found that earlier identification, clearer roles and proportionate intervention can:

• Prevent escalation into major incidents
• Reduce operational disruption
• Contain claim cost, duration and complexity when events do occur.

This helps limit the impact of incidents, support more effective responses and bring greater clarity in the aftermath of an event.

 

POLICE-TRAINED COUNTER TERRORISM EXPERTISE

SE24 is supported by the Counter Terrorism Risk Management (CTRM) Team at S.T.O.R.M 4, Events Ltd.

The CTRM Team comprises former Police Counter Terrorism Security Coordinators (CT SecCo) who have also undertaken additional private-sector event industry training. This combination enables the delivery of proportionate, risk-based and operationally realistic security advice.

Members of the team are Instructors, Lead Assessors or Course Directors on the UK Police national Counter Terrorism Security Coordinators (CT SecCo) course. This programme is delivered to UK Police forces, the military, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and overseas police services. The team has trained the majority of UK Police Counter Terrorism Security Coordinators.

Team members are also approved trainers for, and deliver, the NaCTSO-endorsed Counter Terrorism Protective Security and Preparedness Course.

 

GET STARTED: CLEAR ENTRY POINTS ALIGNED TO RISK EXPOSURE

• Standard Tier: A structured starting position providing awareness, baseline training and initial assessment – enabling an understanding of the trajectory towards compliance.
• Enhanced Tier: A deeper programme incorporating physical review, SIA‑aligned security design and full CTRM integration – appropriate for higher footfall, higher exposure or more complex risks.
• The next step: A short, focused discussion to align a qualifying premise or event with its risk profile, Martyn’s Law obligations and insurance considerations well ahead of April 2027.

SE24 helps move Martyn’s Law from uncertainty to managed exposure.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

For any further enquiries or to book a consultation please contact enquiries@se24.com