At IFSEC International 2022 in May, IFSEC Global spoke with Figen Murray, the driving force behind Martyn’s Law and the Protect Duty in the UK.
Figen Murray is the mother of Martyn Hett, who at 29 years old was killed in the terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena in May 2017. Figen is the force behind Martyn’s Law, a proposed legislation that requires publicly accessible locations to bring in security measures against the threat of terrorism. Martyn’s Law will hopefully form part of the Protect Duty, which was announced in the Queen’s Speech earlier this year.
Crucially, the aim of the legislation is to implement security measures, but without placing “undue burden” on smaller businesses, and to identify what support would be required from government. During several exclusive sessions at IFSEC International, experts including Figen explored some of the key challenges involved for security managers, directors and consultants for whom the new legislation may affect, such as those working in large venues, stadia or publicly accessible universities.
In the interview here (or watch directly on Youtube), Figen speaks about the importance of the new legislation and the impact it is set to have to better protect publicly accessible locations from attack and terror threats. She also underlines the value and support she has received from the private security industry, along the way.
