The new duties under Martyn’s Law, formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, are edging ever closer. For those responsible for public venues, this legislation introduces proportionate and practical requirements around security, preparedness and public safety.
Some venues are already well into their planning. Others are still working through a more basic question: are we in scope, and if so, what do we actually need to do to ensure Martyn’s Law compliance?
What Is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law, sometimes referred to during consultation as the Protect Duty, is intended to strengthen public venue security by placing proportionate counter-terrorism duties on those responsible for publicly accessible premises and events. It was introduced following the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 and the subsequent inquiry, which highlighted gaps in preparedness across a wide range of venues.
The Act is not about creating fear or imposing a single security model. Its focus is readiness. Understanding how a venue operates day to day, recognising realistic threats, and putting sensible, proportionate measures in place to reduce harm if an incident occurs. The duties are tiered to reflect the fact that risk and responsibility look very different in a local theatre compared with a major stadium.
The next step for many organisations is understanding whether these duties apply to them in practice.
Who’s Likely to Fall Under the New Duties
The approach is tiered. In simple terms, it considers what the space is used for and how many people are realistically on site at the same time. It’s not the headline capacity shown on a drawing. It’s the day-to-day reality: patterns, footfall and what experienced teams already know from lived operation. If your building or event is open to the public and you regularly see numbers approaching 200 people, you’re likely in the picture.
You’ll recognise many of the common examples:
- Arenas and sports grounds
- Large theatres and conference spaces
- Shopping centres and busy retail
- Night-time economy venues and larger pubs
- Transport hubs and civic buildings
- A number of education sites, depending on how they’re used
Two broad tiers then sit underneath this:
- Standard duty premises where around 200 to 799 people may be present
- Enhanced duty premises where 800 or more could be on site
- Some large outdoor events also fall into the enhanced group
This tiering reflects both the scale of potential risk and the practical ability to manage it across the UK’s public estate. Although the detail differs between tiers, the underlying principle is steady. Understand the threat. Take proportionate steps. Train your people. And have a clear, workable approach to communication.
What The Law Expects in Practice
Although the detail differs between tiers, the underlying principle is steady. Understand the threat. Take proportionate steps. Train your people. And have a clear, workable approach to communication.
The Standard Duty Tier
For public venues in the 200 to 799 capacity range, Martyn’s Law requirements are deliberately straightforward.
Premises will need to be registered, appropriate procedures put in place, and staff given sensible awareness training. Keeping basic records of what’s been done also forms part of the duty.
For most organisations, these requirements won’t sit in isolation. They are best integrated into existing fire safety and emergency arrangements, rather than treated as something entirely separate.
The Enhanced Duty Tier
Larger venues and qualifying events face a more structured set of requirements. These include a formal terrorism risk assessment, a written security plan and more comprehensive training. Multi-agency exercises and closer cooperation with neighbouring operators or contractors often form part of the picture.
This tier leans heavily on integration. How physical security, operations and communication work together in real life. It’s where reliable voice systems begin to matter just as much as the quality of the risk assessment itself.
Why Communication Sits at the Centre
Under Martyn’s Law, communication forms a critical part of public venue security and emergency preparedness. During an incident, the ability to deliver clear, intelligible instructions can support orderly movement, reduce confusion and help staff and emergency services coordinate their response.
Reliable Voice Alarm systems allow information to be delivered quickly and consistently across a site, even as conditions change. This clarity supports staff decision-making, helps maintain control of public areas and assists emergency services in establishing command when required.
Anthony Morgan, Technical Director at Baldwin Boxall, explains:
A properly designed, installed, fault monitored, certified and maintained Voice Alarm System gives the best chance to ensure that when communication is required in an emergency situation it is heard by those that need to hear it.
How Baldwin Boxall Fits Into This Work
For more than forty years, we’ve designed and manufactured life safety communication systems here in the UK with a simple purpose. When something goes wrong, people need clear instruction, delivered calmly and without delay. This principle sits at the heart of our Voice Alarm systems.
Our Voice Alarm systems are widely installed across public venues including theatres, transport hubs, education sites and commercial buildings.
In emergency situations, uncertainty can increase anxiety, hesitation and panic. A properly designed Voice Alarm system helps reduce that uncertainty. Clear messages establish authority, support orderly movement and allow venues to guide people rather than react to events as they unfold.
Voice Alarm systems also support phased evacuation, which is critical in larger or more complex buildings. Moving everyone at once is rarely the safest option. Being able to direct specific areas, in sequence, helps reduce congestion, limits confusion and gives staff and emergency services greater control.
Martyn’s Law does not prescribe technologies, and that is deliberate. It allows duty holders to choose measures that are genuinely proportionate and appropriate to their site. Reliable communication sits at the centre of that decision-making, and it is an area we know well.
As the guidance continues to settle, we’ll share more practical insight drawn from our experience in real buildings and real operational behaviour.
Wherever you are in your planning for Martyn’s Law, our team is here and ready to talk through how your current systems can support wider preparedness.
