Terrorism remains a significant national security threat to the UK, and the changing profile and tactics of terrorists means identifying potential attacks – and stopping them – is getting increasingly harder.

Protect Duty – known widely as ‘Martyn’s Law’ – is due to be finalised in 2023. It comes in the wake of a number of terrorist attacks in public spaces across the UK – most notably, the Manchester Arena bombing. The purpose of Protect Duty is to improve security in public spaces, protecting and enhancing the safety of both visitors and staff.

The Home Office estimates that 650,000 UK businesses could be affected by Protect Duty – and many businesses will have to formally assess terrorism risk for the first time. To get ahead of the curve, we all need to ensure that we’re informed of what the legislation means for our businesses - which could include prosecution if a security breach is considered serious enough. We need to be conducting vulnerability assessments, preparing a counter-terrorism plan, and, importantly, ensuring we engage with Police and Government Agencies for training and best practice now.

Read more in our Protect Duty whitepaper.