Martyn's Law for pubs and bars in Northern Ireland

Hospitality · October 2026 · Aegis advisory team

If your pub or bar can expect 200 or more people on a busy night, Martyn's Law will apply to you. The good news is that for most pubs the duty is about planning and people, not expensive equipment.

What is Martyn's Law?

Martyn's Law is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It became law in April 2025 and applies across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland. After an implementation period of at least two years, the duties are expected to be enforced from spring 2027. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator.

Is my pub in scope?

Pubs and bars fall within the "food and drink" uses covered by the Act. What decides it is numbers: are 200 or more people reasonably expected to be on the premises at the same time, from time to time?

• Count staff as well as customers. Bar staff, kitchen staff, door staff and performers all count.
• Think about your busiest times, not an average night: match nights, live music, Christmas, St Patrick's Day, private functions.
• Include every area the public uses, such as function rooms, upstairs bars and outdoor areas that form part of your premises.
• Start from a documented figure. The capacity in your fire risk assessment is a sensible starting point. The Home Office has published separate guidance on methods for assessing numbers.

Who is responsible?

The "responsible person" is whoever has control of the premises. For most pubs that is the operating company or the licensee. If you are a tenant or lessee of a pub company, agree in writing who takes responsibility, because the lease may not say. The responsible person must notify the SIA once the notification process opens.

What a standard tier pub has to do

You need public protection procedures in place, so far as is reasonably practicable, and your staff need to know them. There are four:

1. Evacuation

How you get everyone out quickly and safely, and to where. You will already have fire routes; think about whether they still work if the threat is at the main door.

2. Invacuation

Moving people inside to a safer area if the danger is outside, such as a cellar corridor, function room or kitchen away from glass frontage.

3. Lockdown

Who can lock which doors, how quickly, and how you stop people wandering back out into danger.

4. Communication

How staff raise the alarm, who calls 999, and how you tell a busy, noisy room what to do. Turning the music off and using a clear, practised phrase works better than shouting.

Making it work in a real pub

• Brief every shift. Staff turnover and part-time rotas mean a one-off training session soon goes out of date. A two-minute briefing at the start of each shift keeps everyone current.
• Name a person in charge on every shift who makes the call to evacuate, invacuate or lock down.
• Involve your door team. SIA-licensed door supervisors are often first to spot trouble. Make sure their procedures match yours.
• Plan for events. A busy function or gig can change your numbers and your layout. Review the plan before big nights.
• Write it down. A short, clear document shows the SIA, your insurer and your licensing authority that you have thought it through.

What if we get it wrong?

The SIA can issue compliance notices and penalties. For standard tier premises, fines can reach £10,000, with further daily penalties if non-compliance continues. The SIA has said it expects to support and advise first, but the time to prepare is now, not when the regulator calls.

Five steps to take this month

1. Work out your busiest realistic headcount, including staff.
2. Confirm who the responsible person is, in writing.
3. Walk your premises and draft the four procedures.
4. Brief your staff and practise one scenario.
5. Diary a review before your next big event.

Pubs below 200 are not legally required to do any of this. It is still good practice, especially in busy town centres.

This article is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office statutory guidance published in April 2026. Check the current guidance, or speak to us, before relying on it for your own premises. Last updated October 2026.