Martyn’s Law: how will it impact venues and events of more than 100 people?

Martyn’s Law is aiming for better protection against the continued and evolving threat that the UK faces from terrorism.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Draft Bill, otherwise known as Martyn’s Law, is a bill to: Make provision about the assessment and mitigation of risks of terrorist activity at, or in the immediate vicinity of, certain publicly accessible premises or events; to amend the Licensing Act 2003 in relation to premises at heightened risk of being a target of terrorist activity; and for connected purposes.

The new legislation will require all venues which hold over 100 people to take steps to improve public safety, with measures dependent on the size of the venue and the activity taking place. Consultation regarding Martyn’s law highlights that those responsible for publicly accessible locations should take measures to protect the public from potential attacks.

A tiered model has been established, as proportionality is a fundamental consideration for the legislation. Simple and low-cost, yet effective activities to improve preparedness have been recommended for standard tiers, such as training, information sharing, and completion of a preparedness plan to embed practices. This will apply to qualifying locations with a maximum capacity of over 100.

Venues of an enhanced tier with the capacity of over 800 people will be required to undertake additional activities such as appointing a designated senior officer and undertaking an enhanced terrorism risk assessment to inform the development and implementation of a thorough security plan, supported by physical measures such as CCTV systems to achieve a successful level of security preparedness.

Martyn’s Law will seek to ensure appropriate emergency plans are in place, and the prioritisation, consideration, and application of security processes are consistent around public venues in the UK. Exemplifying the criticality of planning and preparedness to ensure a robust response to incidents and mitigate the threat from terrorism in the UK.

Effective preparation is critical to a successful outcome for your organisation and the people who rely on you during an emergency. RAB can provide advice and support to help you prepare for Martyn’s Law enforcement, through our expertise in developing business continuity plans, and emergency training and exercising via bespoke emergency exercises.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch to request more information or an informal meeting. Contact Nicola Hemming or any of the resilience the team by email on enquiries@rabconsultants.co.uk or call our head office in Lichfield on 0330 223 6475.