Martyn’s Law – progress through Parliament

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, had its second reading in the House of Lords.  The Bill follows the Manchester Arena Inquiry and London Bridge Inquest, which called for introduction of legislation and guidance to protect the public following terror attacks and the disruption of numerous late-stage plots. In December, the Bill completed the report stage in the House of Commons and passed its third reading. There were some amendments made at this stage, including changes to the drafting language and clarification regarding the application of various provisions, including the application of the Bill to clubs, associations and other bodies. A new version of the Bill has been produced. 

During the second reading debate, there were calls for continued consultation with organisations affected by the legislation, including the voluntary sector, to ensure that unintended consequences stemming from the legislation are kept to a minimum. The issue of training was raised, with a suggestion that training, which is easy to access and available in a wide range of languages and formats, be provided for free for faith and voluntary sector groups, to ensure that these organisations are fully equipped for the responsibilities that the Bill assigns to them. Concerns were raised about the nature of the burden on small organisations, particularly those that hold events that occasionally go above the threshold and thus permanently come within the scope of the duty. The cost of £330 annually for smaller organisations was described as “pushing up the cost of insuring, say, a village hall by between a third and a half every year”. It was noted that, for organisations that are under pressure, this is a significant cost and there was a risk that “people are just not ready to devote the extra personal time or take the extra risk and the burden, so facilities simply close rather than take on board the burden of compliance”.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill and provide updates.