While preventing terrorism is a continual objective, August marks Anti-terrorism Awareness Month. This year’s awareness campaign feels particularly pertinent so soon after the recent protests around the country, some of which resulted in civil disobedience, violence and disorder.
The terrorism threat level in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is currently at “substantial”, indicating that an attack is highly likely. UK threat levels from terrorism are set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), and MI5 is responsible for setting the threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Northern Ireland. Determining factors include available intelligence, terrorist capability, terrorist intentions and likely timescales.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, known as Martyn’s Law, was drafted in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was tragically killed alongside 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing. The law aims to ensure that venues are prepared for, and protected from, potential terrorist attacks by requiring them to implement risk assessments, preparedness, and training. Since the start of 2017 there have been 14 terror attacks in the UK, indicating that the need for this Bill is more necessary than ever.
Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, OBE, has been campaigning for this legislation since 2019 with Corps Security championing the changes. In 2022, we invited Figen to address 90 of our clients to help promote awareness across a range of industries, and our support continues today. In May 2024, Mike Bluestone, Executive Director of Corps Consult, joined Figen on her 200-mile march from Manchester to London to raise support for the Bill on the seventh anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing.
Bringing these changes into law hasn’t been easy. In a recent LinkedIn post, Figen described how ministers initially promised the Bill would be hurried into law. However, no action was taken for 18 months. Prior to the 2024 election, Figen also received a letter from the incoming Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, affirming his commitment to ratifying the Bill. Figen will soon be meeting with security minister Dan Jarvis to discuss the progress that has been made. In Starmer’s words: “The time for talking is over. It is time to deliver.”
In the King’s Speech, HM King Charles III announced that new laws would be introduced to enhance the safety and security of public places, with the aim of protecting the British public from terrorism. Other Bills introduced include the Crime and Policing Bill to crack down on anti-social behaviour, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to use counter-terror powers to handle smuggling, and the Hillsborough Law to introduce a duty of candour for public servants.
Until Martyn’s Law is passed through Parliament, venues must continue to take reasonable steps ensuring the security of their sites and patrons, including conducting relevant training, risk assessments, and developing a local counter terrorism plan, to protect against potential terrorist activity.
