AUCSO launches video focused on Martyn’s Law preparations

The sector-led film brings together university leaders, strategic security specialists and front line campus security professionals to explain what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 means for the higher education domain and the practical steps that institutions should be taking now in order to protect students, members of staff and visitors alike.

Importantly, the video accompanies AUCSO’s TO PROTECT Model: A Practical Approach for Implementing Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) Responsibilities. This is a sector-led framework developed specifically to support higher education institutions as they prepare for the new legislation.

At the heart of both is a clear message: preparing for Martyn’s Law is about far more than compliance. It’s also focused on an institution’s fundamental Duty of Care to its students, staff, visitors and the wider community.

The video features contributions from Professor Shearer West CBE (vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Leeds), Dilip Amin (executive chair of AUCSO’s CONTEST Special Interest Group and security services manager at the University of Reading), Geoff Brown (chair of AUCSO) and a campus security officer, in turn bringing perspectives to bear from institutional leadership, strategic security management, sector representation and front line campus security.

Together, the participants explore the responsibilities Martyn’s Law will place on higher education institutions, the importance of senior accountability and cross-university collaboration and the practical measures required to protect students, members of staff and visitors.

Important moment 

Geoff Brown commented: “Martyn’s Law represents an important moment for our sector. Universities now have an opportunity to review, test and strengthen their arrangements before the legislation comes into force.”

Brown added: “Our message is simple: use this implementation period well. Good preparedness is not only about meeting the requirements of the Act. It’s also about ensuring that our university communities are as safe, resilient and well prepared as they can be.”

Universities thrive on being open, welcoming and accessible environments. However, their size, complexity and public-facing nature mean that many institutions operate numerous premises and events which may fall within the scope of Martyn’s Law.

Large lecture theatres, graduation venues, accommodation complexes, sports facilities and other university spaces may fall within scope of the Enhanced Tier. Importantly, the legislation allows a ‘premises’ to comprise a building, part of a building or a group of buildings and associated land, meaning that many university campuses are likely to meet the Enhanced Tier threshold when considered as a whole.

The video explains four essential areas of preparedness:

*communication: warning staff, students and members of the public quickly, while providing the police and the Emergency Services with vital information

*evacuation: moving people safely away from danger

*invacuation: directing people into secure internal locations

*lockdown: securing premises to prevent entry or exit where necessary

It also considers physical protection measures including hostile vehicle mitigation, CCTV, surveillance and access control alongside the importance of governance, risk assessment, training and clearly defined accountability.

Serious incidents

Julie Barker, chief operating officer of AUCSO, informed Security Matters: “Universities are among the most open, diverse and complex environments in the country. That openness is fundamental to university life, of course, but it also means that institutions must think carefully about how they prepare for and respond to serious incidents.”

Barker continued: “Martyn’s Law should not be viewed simply as a compliance exercise. Protecting students, staff and visitors is a shared institutional responsibility and an essential element of the pastoral commitment universities make to their communities.”

Further, Barker explained: “The TO PROTECT Model and the new video, called Martyn’s Law TO PROTECT, bring perspectives together from university leadership, strategic security management and front line campus security. These perspectives emanate from individuals who understand both the institutional responsibilities created by Martyn’s Law and the practical realities of protecting complex university environments.”

The video highlights the importance of establishing clear responsibility at senior level. Under Martyn’s Law, the ‘Responsible Person’ (and, where applicable, the senior designated individual) will have important duties in relation to ensuring that an institution meets the requirements of the legislation.

It also encourages universities to examine how their existing emergency plans align with the Act of Parliament and, what’s more, to ensure that procedures are understood, co-ordinated and regularly tested.

Security Industry Authority 

AUCSO is already actively engaged with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which will regulate Martyn’s Law, including involvement in the testing of systems and the development of regulatory guidance. The organisation is also working with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and the Department for Education to help ensure that the particular characteristics and requirements of the higher education space are properly understood as preparations for implementation continue.

In order to strengthen collaboration across the sector, AUCSO established the Higher Education Associations Group. The latter brings together relevant organisations to share information, expertise and emerging guidance and support a co-ordinated approach to Martyn’s Law across higher education.

Julie Barker observed: “Universities are not starting from scratch. The sector already harbours considerable expertise in protective security, emergency management, business continuity and major event planning.”

According to Barker: “The priority now is to review those arrangements through the lens of Martyn’s Law. Institutions need to ask whether responsibilities are clear, whether plans connect effectively across different departments and premises and whether those plans would work in practice during a fast-moving incident.”

In conclusion, Barker said: “No single university or security team should have to approach this work in isolation. By working together, sharing expertise and engaging constructively with the SIA and the Department for Education, we can help in creating safer and more resilient university communities.”

The video concludes by encouraging institutions to adopt a proactive mindset and use the remainder of the implementation period to ensure that their security and emergency plans are absolutely ready.

*The TO PROTECT video can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/OVaIHJbLHdM 

**The TO PROTECT Model: A Practical Approach for Implementing Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) Responsibilities is available to view online at AUCSO-TO-PROTECT-Model-2026.pdf