University campuses contain multiple venues that fall under Martyn's Law. Compliance covers the whole estate, not just one building.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent in April 2025. Universities and colleges with public-facing spaces that exceed the qualifying capacity threshold must comply before April 2027.
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01 / Which Tier
Most university campuses contain both Standard and Enhanced Tier venues within the same estate.
Martyn's Law applies at the level of individual premises within a university estate, not the university as a single entity. That means each qualifying venue on campus is assessed separately. A lecture theatre with 250 seats is Standard Tier. A students' union with capacity for 1,200 is Enhanced Tier. A large sports hall used for graduation ceremonies may also meet the Enhanced Tier threshold.
University estates teams therefore need to audit their entire built estate and identify which individual spaces, buildings and event venues meet the qualifying capacity threshold. Where a venue falls in scope, its tier determines the specific obligations.
For Enhanced Tier spaces, the obligations include documented vulnerability assessments, a designated responsible person, active physical protective measures and the ability to demonstrate compliance to the Security Industry Authority. Given that many universities have large students' unions, concert halls, conference centres and sports facilities, the Enhanced Tier will typically apply across a significant part of the estate.
- Documented evacuation and lockdown procedures per venue
- Staff and student-facing staff trained on threat response
- Communication protocols for an attack scenario
- SIA registration for each qualifying premises
- All Standard Tier obligations
- Documented vulnerability assessment per qualifying venue
- Designated responsible person for each Enhanced premises
- Active physical protective measures in place
- Demonstrable monitoring capability for SIA assessment
02 / What Measures
University campuses are open-access environments with large, predominantly young populations. That combination creates specific security requirements.
University estates are typically open during the day, with some buildings accessible to the public as well as staff and students. That open-access nature, combined with high footfall, a young population and a large number of evening events, makes campus venues a specific category of security challenge.
Students' union buildings, in particular, often host concerts, club nights and large-scale events that exceed 800 capacity and trigger Enhanced Tier obligations. Many unions already have some CCTV coverage. The question the Act asks is whether that coverage is passive recording or active detection. For Enhanced Tier, it must be the latter.
Campus-wide AI behaviour detection running on the existing IP camera network provides active monitoring across all qualifying premises simultaneously. That single detection layer covers students' unions, sports halls, conference facilities, large lecture theatres and any other space that falls in scope, without a separate hardware installation for each building.
The students' union is almost always Enhanced Tier.
Most university unions run regular events well above the 800-person threshold. That makes them Enhanced Tier venues individually, regardless of the rest of the campus picture.
Drink spiking detection is a specific campus priority.
Drink spiking incidents at students' union events and campus bars are among the most reported venue safety incidents in UK higher education. Archangel's behaviour detection includes indicators associated with spiking, giving bar and event staff an earlier opportunity to act.
One system, campus-wide coverage.
Archangel connects to your existing IP camera infrastructure across the full estate. Multiple qualifying buildings can be covered by a single deployment without replacing any hardware.
03 / How AI Behaviour Detection Helps
What Archangel detects across a university campus environment.
Loitering in building entrances and public spaces
Extended presence near building entrances, at campus perimeter points or in normally busy public spaces during off-peak hours is flagged as a potential pre-attack indicator.
Drink spiking behavioural indicators
At students' union bars and campus events, Archangel monitors for behavioural patterns associated with drink spiking incidents, giving staff an earlier opportunity to intervene.
Aggression and physical confrontation
Physical altercations between students or between individuals in public campus spaces are detected and flagged to the nearest staff member with exact location and camera view.
Unattended items in public areas
Bags or items left in university libraries, union buildings, foyers or lecture theatre corridors are flagged immediately, with alerts sent to the campus security team.
Tailgating through access-controlled areas
Many campus buildings have card-access doors. Detection monitors for individuals following authorised users through controlled access points without swiping in.
Documented detection log across the estate
Every alert, confirmed detection and security response is logged automatically across all campus buildings covered. That log provides documented evidence of active monitoring for each qualifying premises.
For the full guide to Martyn's Law, including how the Act defines qualifying premises and the two-tier structure, visit our main guide.
Read the full Martyn's Law guideUnderstand what Martyn's Law means for your campus.
Book a discovery call. We will assess which buildings and spaces on your estate fall in scope, your existing camera infrastructure, and what active AI monitoring looks like across a university environment. Two months free means you can start before enforcement begins.
Two months free. No hardware. No commitment beyond the conversation.