Martyn’s Law is on the statute book but not yet in force. That gap is the whole point of the implementation period — and it is closing.
What is fixed
- 3 April 2025 — Royal Assent. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 became law.
- 15 April 2026 — statutory guidance published by the Home Office, updated 18 May 2026. This is the document that tells you what the duties actually look like in practice.
- The implementation period is expected to run for at least 24 months from Royal Assent, to let those in scope prepare and to establish the SIA as regulator.
What is expected but not yet dated
Commencement — the moment the duties bite — has not been given a firm date. On the published position it cannot fall before April 2027. Treat any specific date you read elsewhere with caution, including ours: check the Act’s page on gov.uk for the current position before you plan around it.
Also still ahead: the SIA’s own guidance on how it will approach enforcement, and the notification route through which premises and events will register.
What to do with the time
The temptation is to wait for a date. The organisations that will find commencement uneventful are the ones using the implementation period for the parts that genuinely take time.
Now — the parts that are slow
- Settle your scope. Standard or enhanced, per premises and per event, counting staff. Write down the reasoning, not just the answer. See the scope check.
- Map your scenarios. Which situations do you actually have prepared wording for, and where are the gaps? See scenario coverage.
- Test reach honestly. Walk the far corners of your site and ask whether a message would land there. This is the finding that most often changes a plan, and it takes a site visit, not a meeting.
Next — the parts that depend on the first
- Write the four public protection procedures — evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication (section 5(3)).
- For enhanced tier: draft the documented assessment you will submit to the SIA (para. 8.1, 8.57), and name your designated senior individual.
- Train the people who will actually make the call at 22:00 on a Saturday.
Before commencement
- Rehearse. A procedure nobody has practised is a document, not a procedure.
- Check that your records show what you decided and why. See evidence of preparedness.
Frequently asked questions
Is Martyn’s Law in force now?
No. The Act has Royal Assent but the duties are not yet commenced.
Do we have to do anything before commencement?
Nothing is legally required of you yet. Whether you use the time is a commercial and operational judgement.
Will there be a grace period after commencement?
The implementation period between Royal Assent and commencement is that period. Do not assume a second one.
Where should we watch for the date?
The Act’s page on gov.uk and the SIA. We update this page when the published position changes; the source, not this page, is what counts.
Where responsibility sits
Legal responsibility rests with the responsible person and cannot be handed over: the responsible person cannot delegate their legal responsibility to a contracted service provider, although they may delegate tasks (para. 6.1). CrowdCows supports that work and does not take it over. Nothing we supply is required, approved or endorsed by the Home Office, the SIA or NaCTSO.
All paragraph references are to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 statutory guidance (Home Office, published 15 April 2026, updated 18 May 2026).
