Martyn’s Law Northern Ireland: A Practical Guide for Event Organisers
Martyn’s Law will introduce legal duties for certain publicly accessible premises and events across Northern Ireland.
The main point: the law does not automatically require every event to hire security guards. It requires the responsible person to understand whether the premises or event is in scope and to establish appropriate, reasonably practicable procedures.
Last checked: 14 September 2026. The main duties are not yet in force. The implementation period runs for at least 24 months from Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, so commencement is not expected before spring 2027.
Does Martyn’s Law Apply in Northern Ireland?
Yes. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 extends across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.
It may apply to places such as:
- entertainment and leisure venues
- hotels and conference facilities
- pubs, restaurants and other food-and-drink premises
- halls and community venues
- sports grounds and visitor attractions
- temporary event sites
An event can be outside the specific scope of Martyn’s Law while remaining subject to health and safety, fire, licensing and other legal requirements.
The 200 and 800-Person Thresholds
The numbers refer to the people it is reasonable to expect will be present at the same time. This includes staff, contractors and volunteers—not only ticket holders.
| Expected number present | Likely position |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 200 | Usually outside Martyn’s Law unless another part of the site is independently in scope. |
| 200–799 | A qualifying premises may fall within the standard tier. |
| 800 or more | A qualifying premises may fall within the enhanced tier. An event may be a qualifying event if all the event tests are met. |
Important: there is no standard-tier qualifying event. An event is not a qualifying event merely because 200 people attend. The 200–799 threshold applies to qualifying premises.
For a standalone event to qualify, all the statutory criteria must be met. These include:
- taking place in a building, on land, or both
- not already taking place at enhanced-tier premises
- being accessible to members of the public
- reasonably expecting 800 or more people to be present at once
- checking an entry condition, such as a ticket, pass or relevant membership
- not taking place at excluded premises
A ticketed outdoor concert expecting 1,000 people may be a qualifying event. A completely open-access town parade without entry checks will not normally meet the qualifying-event test, although controlled areas such as ticketed grandstands may need to be assessed separately.
A private wedding with guests invited personally will not normally be a qualifying event because access is not open to the public. However, the hotel or venue may still be a qualifying premises with its own duties.
What Does the Standard Tier Require?
The responsible person for qualifying premises in the standard tier will need to:
- notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA), in the required form and timeframe
- establish appropriate public-protection procedures, so far as reasonably practicable
- make relevant workers aware of the procedures and their roles
The standard tier does not automatically require expensive equipment, building alterations or paid third-party training. Procedures must suit the actual premises, available resources and risks.
What Is Different in the Enhanced Tier?
Enhanced-tier premises and qualifying events involve 800 or more people and carry additional duties. The responsible person must also consider reasonably practicable measures relating to:
- monitoring the premises, event and immediate vicinity
- managing the movement of people
- physical safety and security
- protecting security-sensitive information
Compliance must be documented and submitted to the SIA. If the responsible person is an organisation, it must designate a senior individual to oversee compliance.
This does not mean every large event needs the same number of guards, barriers or cameras. Measures should be based on the site, crowd, format, access arrangements and what is reasonably practicable.
Who Is Responsible: The Venue or the Organiser?
The responsible person is the individual or organisation with control of the premises for its relevant use or, for a qualifying event, control of the site for the purposes of that event.
This may be:
- the venue operator
- the event organiser or promoter
- a company hiring and controlling an area of land
- more than one organisation required to co-operate and co-ordinate
The contract and the reality on the ground both matter. Who decides who enters, how the site is used, where barriers go and when an area opens or closes?
The responsible person can delegate tasks to an event manager, stewarding company or security provider. It cannot transfer its legal responsibility merely by hiring a contractor.
Organisers, Stewards and Security Providers: What Is the Difference?
| Role | Typical responsibility |
|---|---|
| Event organiser or responsible person | Assesses scope, confirms control, creates the plan, allocates resources, co-ordinates suppliers and ensures the legal duties are met. |
| Event steward | Supports customer care and crowd safety by directing guests, keeping routes clear, monitoring pedestrian flow, assisting evacuation and reporting concerns. |
| Security provider | Supplies appropriately licensed personnel for licensable work such as certain searches, guarding, preventing unauthorised access, dealing with disorder or security-related CCTV monitoring. |
A job title does not decide whether an SIA licence is required. The duties being performed do.
Basic stewarding—directing visitors, checking a ticket to guide someone to a seat, keeping an evacuation route clear and helping with a safety procedure—may be non-licensable.
Security activities can require the correct SIA licence. Examples include searching people or bags to prevent prohibited or illegal items entering, screening people for suitability, refusing entry or removing someone, guarding against disorder, and protecting a perimeter against unauthorised access.
Write separate role descriptions for stewards and security personnel. Do not give an unlicensed steward a security task simply because the event becomes busy.
Looking for event security or staffing support?
Find Northern Ireland suppliers and contact suitable companies directly.
A Practical Preparation Checklist
1. Identify who controls the premises
Review venue-hire agreements and supplier contracts. Record who controls entry, capacity, layout, opening times and emergency decisions.
2. Calculate the peak number present
Count attendees, workers, performers, contractors, volunteers and anyone else expected at the same time. Keep the evidence used to reach the figure.
3. Classify the premises and event separately
Do not assume the venue’s tier automatically answers the event question. Check whether the premises qualifies and whether the event meets all six qualifying-event criteria.
4. Write workable procedures
Plan evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Record who can activate each procedure and how disabled or vulnerable attendees will be supported.
5. Define every operational role
Give organisers, supervisors, stewards, volunteers and security staff clear written duties. Identify which tasks require an SIA-licensed operative.
6. Brief and test the team
Use inductions, pre-event briefings and tabletop exercises. Staff need to know the site-specific plan; holding a security licence does not replace this briefing.
7. Review after changes and events
Update the plan when the layout, attendance, access system, event type or suppliers change. Record exercises, briefings, incidents and improvements.
Does Martyn’s Law Mean You Must Hire Event Security?
No—not automatically.
Martyn’s Law is based on appropriate and reasonably practicable procedures and measures. A security provider may be needed where the risk assessment, venue conditions, licensing arrangements or planned duties require professional security work.
The law does not set a universal guard-to-attendee ratio. Ask instead:
- What needs protected?
- Which tasks are stewarding and which are licensable security work?
- What can the team safely and realistically do?
- Are the procedures clear, briefed and capable of working under pressure?
If specialist support is required, compare suitable security and event staffing suppliers serving Northern Ireland.
Final Point
Martyn’s Law is about practical preparedness, not paperwork for its own sake.
Northern Ireland organisers should start by confirming control, counting everyone expected at the same time and separating stewarding duties from licensable security work.
Official Guidance
- Home Office statutory guidance on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
- Security Industry Authority guidance on security at events
This article provides general information, not legal advice. Requirements and commencement arrangements may change. Organisers should check current official guidance and obtain competent advice for their particular event.
Written by Terry Scullion, founder of Party Suppliers Direct.
