Public safety is not optional – it is a responsibility

Figen Murray on why responsible events must place public safety at the heart of every decision

By Figen Murray

When people go to a concert, a conference, a hotel, a sports venue or any other public space, they should be able to do so without having to think about whether the people responsible for that place are prepared for the worst.

That expectation is not unreasonable. It is basic public responsibility.

For me, this is not an abstract issue. My son, Martyn Hett, was one of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. In the years since, I have campaigned for what became Martyn’s Law because I did not want other families to experience the pain that mine, and so many others, have had to endure.

That campaign was never about creating fear. It was about creating readiness.

Now that the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is on the statute book, the conversation must move from principle to practice. 

The question for organisations is no longer whether better preparedness matters. It is how they make it part of everyday operational thinking.

Martyn’s Law is designed to be proportionate and practical. It recognises that a small venue is not the same as a large arena, and that responsibility must be tailored to the reality of each setting. But proportionate does not mean optional, and practical does not mean superficial.

At its heart, this is about culture as much as compliance.

The strongest organisations will not treat Martyn’s Law as a box-ticking exercise or a legal hurdle to clear before 2027. They will treat it as an opportunity to ask serious questions: do our people know what to do in an emergency? Have we thought through evacuation, lockdown and communication? Are we confident that the systems, processes and leadership in place would stand up under pressure? Have we considered how security works alongside accessibility, visitor experience and day-to-day operations?

These are leadership questions.

Too often, security is seen as something technical, separate or specialist. Of course specialist expertise matters, but public protection also depends on mindset. 

It depends on whether boards, operators, event teams, facilities teams and public authorities see safety as part of their core duty to the people they serve.

That is why industry-wide engagement matters so much. Conferences like the one hosted at ICC Belfast are important not simply because they discuss legislation, but because they bring together the people responsible for turning legal duties into practical action. Venues that are willing to convene these conversations and share best practice are helping to raise standards across the wider sector.

This next phase will require collaboration. Government, the Security Industry Authority, venue operators, event organisers, security professionals, emergency planners and technology providers all have a role to play. So do trade bodies and professional networks. Public safety works best when it is shared, understood and embedded.

It is also important to be clear about what Martyn’s Law is not. It is not a promise that every threat can be eliminated. No law can do that. But preparedness can reduce vulnerability, improve response and save lives. It can make crowded places harder targets. It can help staff act quickly and calmly. It can make the difference between confusion and coordination in the moments that matter most.

That is why I have always said this is about doing all we reasonably can.

The implementation period should not be seen as time to delay. It should be used wisely. Organisations should be reviewing procedures, building awareness, using credible free guidance, and thinking carefully about what proportionate preparedness looks like in their own environment. This is not about panic spending or performative security. It is about sensible, practical readiness.

For those responsible for public spaces, the challenge now is simple: do not wait to be told that safety matters. Lead on it.

Martyn’s Law is part of my son’s legacy, and I am proud of what has been achieved. But legacy on its own is not enough. What matters is what happens next — in venues, in organisations, in control rooms, in training sessions, in risk assessments and in everyday decisions about how we protect the public.

If this law helps create a culture where people think ahead, prepare properly and take responsibility seriously, then it will do what it was always meant to do: help prevent more families from living with the consequences of avoidable failure.