The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on Thursday 3 April.
The Government intends for there to be an implementation period of at least 24 months before the Act comes into force. This period will enable those responsible for premises and events to have sufficient time to understand their new obligations, and to plan and prepare accordingly.
Whilst those that fall within scope of the Act may wish to consider the requirements, there is no requirement to comply with them until the legislation comes into force. The Home Office will publish statutory guidance during the implementation period. This guidance will assist those responsible to understand the requirements set out in the legislation.
We will continue to engage with businesses and organisations and will release public communications via ProtectUK, Gov.uk and the Home Office social media channels.
Third party suppliers and consultants
Premises and events do not need to spend money on consultants to be compliant with the legislative requirements. The Government’s statutory guidance will assist in determining whether premises or events are in scope of the legislation and, if so, which tier they fall within. It will enable duty holders to make their own assessments on how they will meet the requirements of the relevant tier – and in turn make an assessment on whether they need to seek further support. Please be aware neither the Home Office, SIA, nor the National Counter Terrorism Security Office endorse any third-party products offered by the private sector in respect of compliance with this legislation. The Government’s intent is that those responsible for premises and events in scope can comply with the Act without needing to buy specialist services.
What does Martyn’s Law entail?
The Act sets out that the procedures and measures that must be put in place by organisations for their premises or event should be determined by what is appropriate and reasonably practicable for their individual circumstances. Duty holders should take into account the nature of the premises or event, their activities, and resources when determining what to take forward. The particular procedures or measures in place at one location may not be appropriate and reasonably practicable at another.
The Home Office is pleased to share additional material about the Act including a One Page Leaflet explaining the Act's scope, requirements, the responsible person, and regulator, and a Myth Buster addressing misconceptions about the Act, discouraging use of third party providers, and encouraging organisations to put effective protective security measures in place, and a new video providing a short overview of the Act .
We continue to encourage referral to the ProtectUK website. For more detailed information, please refer to the Act’s factsheets on Gov.uk which can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025-factsheets
