With Martyn’s Law expected to come into force from April 2027, organisations responsible for publicly accessible premises should already be thinking about their compliance strategies and their preparedness for Martyn’s Law. While many venues have existing security measures in place, Martyn’s Law introduces a legal duty to prepare for, respond to and communicate effectively during a terrorist incident.
For those asking “How do I prepare for Martyn’s Law?”, “What do I need to do for Martyn’s Law?” or “What does Martyn’s Law preparedness involve?”, don’t worry, there are practical steps you can start taking today.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law which used to be known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, aims to improve public safety by requiring organisations to take proportionate measures to reduce the impact of a terrorist attack and improve preparedness. The legislation applies to qualifying premises and events with a capacity of 200 or more people and introduces a legal responsibility to plan, communicate and respond effectively during an incident.
The law recognises that protecting people isn’t simply about preventing attacks. Organisations must also be able to react quickly and coordinate an appropriate response when an incident occurs.
Why Martyn’s Law preparedness matters
Many venues already have fire alarms, CCTV systems and physical security controls in place. However, Martyn’s Law goes beyond traditional safety measures. It focuses on whether organisations are able to deliver clear instructions, maintain communication during disruption and coordinate responses across large sites in real time.
In a fast-moving situation, a single evacuation order may not be the safest response. Some areas of a venue may need to evacuate, while others may need to lock down or move to safer locations within the building. Organisations therefore need procedures and communication systems that support dynamic decision-making.
How to prepare for Martyn’s Law
If you’re wondering how to prepare for Martyn’s Law, the key here is to focus on both people and processes, not just technology.
1. Review your response plans
Start by assessing the potential threats your venue could face and identifying the appropriate responses for each scenario.
These plans should include:
- Evacuation procedures
- Invacuation procedures (moving people to safer areas within a building)
- Lockdown procedures
- Emergency communication protocols
Different parts of a site may require different responses at the same time, so planning should reflect the realities of your environment.
2. Assess your communication capabilities
One of the biggest challenges highlighted by Martyn’s Law is communication. Staff need clear, immediate instructions during an incident.
Ask yourself:
- Can alerts be triggered instantly?
- Can messages be targeted to specific zones or teams?
- Can communications continue during infrastructure disruption?
- Can you prove what actions were taken during an incident?
These capabilities are increasingly important for demonstrating compliance in practice.
3. Train staff and build awareness
Even the best procedures are ineffective if staff do not understand them.
Martyn’s Law preparation should include regular training exercises, clear escalation processes and defined responsibilities. Teams should understand when to evacuate, when to lock down and how to communicate effectively during an emergency.
4. Strengthen communication resilience
Relying on a single communication method can create vulnerabilities during a crisis.
Organisations should review whether their current infrastructure can continue functioning during disruption and whether communication channels provide sufficient resilience to support critical incident management.
5. Create an audit trail
Martyn’s Law places importance on accountability.
Being able to record alerts, instructions and actions taken during an incident can help organisations demonstrate compliance, support investigations and improve future response planning.
What do I need to do for Martyn’s Law?
For many organisations, preparation can be summarised into five key areas:
- Define response scenarios.
- Enable rapid incident alerts.
- Deliver clear and targeted communications.
- Build resilience into communication systems.
- Maintain an auditable record of actions and decisions.
These areas provide the foundation for effective Martyn’s Law preparedness and can help organisations move from awareness to practical implementation.
Start preparing before compliance deadlines arrive
Although implementation may seem some distance away, effective preparedness takes time. Organisations need to review procedures, identify gaps, engage stakeholders and ensure systems can support an effective response under pressure. Taking action now can reduce risk, simplify compliance and strengthen operational resilience for the future.
Martyn’s Law is not just about meeting a legal requirement. It’s about ensuring staff, visitors and members of the public can receive the right information at the right time when it matters most.
Download our Martyn’s Law Whitepaper
This article provides a high-level overview of Martyn’s Law preparedness and the steps organisations should consider today.
For a deeper understanding of the legislation, practical compliance requirements, sector-specific considerations and a detailed readiness checklist, download the whitepaper. The guide explores what Martyn’s Law means in practice and provides actionable recommendations to help organisations move from policy to protection.