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Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
The law, in plain English
What Martyn's Law really means for qualifying premises and events, for the people who have to do it — without the jargon.
This is general guidance to help you get your bearings — not legal advice, and not the last word. For the official position, see the statutory guidance on GOV.UK and the advice at ProtectUK (protectuk.police.uk).
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Martyn's Law explained
What the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 asks of qualifying premises and events, in plain English.
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Who is the Responsible Person?
How the duty is allocated, what can be delegated, and what happens when more than one organisation shares a site.
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Standard Tier or Enhanced Tier?
The capacity guide, the exceptions that matter, and why capacity alone does not settle it.
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How to work out if you reach 200
The number that decides whether you are in scope is the most people expected at once — not your total through the day. How to count it, who to include, and why to write the reasoning down.
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Hall hire: who is responsible?
When a village or community hall is hired out, who carries the Martyn's Law duty — the hall or the hirer? It turns on who controls the premises, and the answer surprises people.
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Martyn's Law for village & community halls
Most halls are either out of scope or sit at the lighter Standard Tier. How to tell which, what the busy day does to your numbers, and what a hall actually has to do.
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What counts as a qualifying event?
Events have their own rules under Martyn's Law. An event is only caught if it is open to the public, expects 800 or more at once, and controls entry behind a secure perimeter — so most smaller or private events are not.
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Does Martyn's Law apply to care homes?
Nothing in the guidance names care homes in or out — but health care is a qualifying use, so it comes down to numbers. Why most single homes fall under 200, which larger settings are caught, and why you'd want to be ready either way.
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Fairs, fêtes and community events: are you in scope?
A one-off fair is rarely a 'qualifying event' — that needs 800 people and controlled entry. The quieter risk is that one busy day pushes the hall or ground it's held at over 200 and into the Standard tier.
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What do you have to buy for Martyn's Law?
At the Standard tier, nothing. No equipment, no building works, no certified training, no consultant and no security guards — the duties are simple, low-cost procedures, and the cost is your time, not your money.
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Martyn's Law for churches and places of worship
If a church is caught at all, it's in the Standard tier — and places of worship stay Standard even at 800+, so a packed carol service or Easter morning doesn't push you into the Enhanced tier. The first question is whether you reach 200 people at all.
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Markets and street markets
Most markets are out of scope: an open-air street market has no building and no controlled entry, so it is neither a qualifying premises nor a qualifying event. The one that can be caught is a covered market hall busy enough to reach 200 — and then the duty is on the operator, not the stallholders.
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Building your arrangements
Protective response planning
Evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication — what each is for, and how they fit together.
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Public protection measures
Monitoring, movement of people, physical protection and information security — the Enhanced Tier assessment.
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Staff preparedness and briefing
A plan nobody has been told about is not a plan. How to brief, record it, and keep it true through turnover.
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Keeping arrangements current
Tools and answers
Readiness Check
Two questions, your likely tier, and the Readiness Checklist.
Frequently asked questions
The questions people ask most, answered without hedging.
Help Centre
Using the platform: accounts, premises, assessments, uploads and plans.
How It Works
The full walkthrough, from a blank page to arrangements you can evidence.
Where the definitive answers live
Everything here is general guidance written to help you get oriented. For definitive information about whether your premises or event is within scope, and what is required of you, refer to the current statutory guidance issued under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.