Breaking — 15 April 2026: The SIA has today published its draft section 12 statutory guidance for consultation under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn's Law). The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 12 June 2026. Read the consultation on GOV.UK →
What Is Martyn's Law?
Martyn's Law is the common name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, named in honour of Martyn Hett — one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack on 22 May 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for years to make better security preparedness a legal requirement at public venues.
The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It requires those responsible for certain public premises and events to put in place public protection procedures and, for larger venues, additional security measures to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks. The SIA is the regulator across the entire UK.
What the SIA Consultation Covers
The SIA is consulting specifically on its section 12 guidance — the document that explains how the SIA will exercise its functions as regulator. This sits alongside the Home Office's section 27 guidance, which covers what venues must actually do to comply.
The two pieces of guidance interlink:
- The Home Office section 27 guidance — sets out requirements: what premises must do to comply
- The SIA section 12 guidance (this consultation) — explains how the SIA will regulate and enforce
This consultation only covers the SIA's regulatory approach. It does not replace or override the Home Office's section 27 guidance, which will be published separately during the 24-month implementation period.
Consultation closes 12 June 2026. Security companies and industry bodies can respond online at SmartSurvey. This is an opportunity for the security industry to shape how the SIA will enforce Martyn's Law. UKSecurityJobs encourages all SIA-approved contractors to respond.
The Two Tiers — What They Mean in Practice
Martyn's Law establishes a tiered approach based on the number of people expected to be present at a premises or event:
Standard Tier
- Notify the SIA of the premises
- Put in place public protection procedures
- Evacuation, invacuation and lockdown protocols
- No requirement for physical security infrastructure
- Focus on procedural readiness
Enhanced Tier
- All standard tier requirements
- Physical security measures (CCTV, bag searches, vehicle checks)
- Reduce vulnerability to terrorist attack
- Document procedures and submit to SIA
- Designate a named senior responsible person
Venues in scope include retail and hospitality, entertainment and leisure, places of worship, healthcare, education settings, transport and infrastructure, and community venues. Offices are not currently included. Early years, primary and secondary education settings have a special consideration — they remain in the standard tier even if they expect 800 or more people.
When Does It Come Into Force?
The government has confirmed an implementation period of at least 24 months from 3 April 2025 — meaning the earliest the Act could come into force is April 2027. No premises are required to comply until the legislation formally comes into force. However, venues are strongly encouraged to use the implementation period to understand their obligations and begin preparing.
What It Means for the Security Industry
For security companies and SIA-approved contractors
This is a significant commercial opportunity. Thousands of venues across the UK — from shopping centres and sports grounds to theatres, hotels and places of worship — will need to review and potentially upgrade their security arrangements. Many will turn to SIA-approved contractors for advice, training and staffing.
The SIA has been clear that it does not endorse third-party compliance products and that most venues can comply without buying specialist services. However, the need for trained, SIA-licensed security officers who understand counter-terrorism procedures, evacuation protocols and the ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) framework will increase significantly.
For SIA-licensed officers
Every door supervisor and security guard working at a qualifying venue will need to be able to demonstrate awareness of the venue's public protection procedures. ACT Awareness e-learning — available free on ProtectUK — is already mandatory for SIA licence renewal. Officers with completed ACT training and experience at larger venues will be more employable and command higher rates.
For event security
Qualifying events with 800 or more attendees fall into the enhanced tier. Event security officers working at festivals, concerts, sports events and large exhibitions will increasingly need to demonstrate awareness of Martyn's Law requirements. Event security companies that build this into their staff training and tender documentation will be better positioned for major contracts.
What to do now: Complete the free ACT Awareness and ACT Security e-learning on ProtectUK — it is free, nationally accredited and takes about an hour. Add the certificate to your UKSecurityJobs profile. For security companies, review the consultation document and consider submitting a response by 12 June 2026.
Background — The Manchester Arena Attack
Martyn's Law was named for Martyn Hett, 29, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Ariana Grande concert bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017. The Kerslake Review into the emergency response and the subsequent Manchester Arena Inquiry found significant failings in the security arrangements at the venue. Figen Murray, Martyn's mother, has campaigned since 2017 for legislation requiring all large venues to take terrorism preparedness seriously. The Act is the result of that campaign.
The SIA's full collection of Martyn's Law guidance is available on GOV.UK.