Figen Murray OBE reflects on the journey to Martyn’s Law at Annual Law Lecture

Held at Maxwell Hall on the Peel Park campus, the lecture brought together students, colleagues and legal professionals to explore the connection between personal experience and legislative change. 

Opening the evening, Dr Emma Roberts, Head of Law, reflected on the role of law not simply as a reactive system responding to harm, but as a framework that sets standards and protects communities before harm occurs. Her remarks set the tone for an event that asked us to consider not only what the law is, but what it should be. 

Chaired by Dr Sally Penni MBE, Barrister, Founder of Women in the Law UK, the lecture was organised by Dr Ayesha Chowdhury. Ayesha’s expertise in counter-terrorism law aligned closely with the focus of this year’s lecture. Over the summer, Ayesha supervised students researching Martyn’s Law and its potential impact, making the opportunity to hear directly from Figen especially meaningful for those studying in this field. 

In her lecture, ‘From Tragedy to Legislative Change: The Journey of Martyn’s Law’, Figen shared the story behind the campaign that led to the enactment of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. 

The Act received Royal Assent in 2025 and introduces a statutory duty on those responsible for certain public premises and events to consider the risk of terrorist attacks and take proportionate steps to protect the public. Widely known as Martyn’s Law, it represents a significant development in the UK’s counter-terrorism and public protection framework, shifting expectations from guidance to clear legal responsibility. 

Before discussing the legislation itself, Figen spoke with extraordinary honesty about her son Martyn, ensuring the audience understood the person behind the law: his character, warmth and individuality. She then recounted the devastating events of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, in which Martyn lost his life, and the unimaginable aftermath that followed. 

Her account was measured and profoundly moving. 

What followed that night was years of determined advocacy. Figen described how, despite being naturally shy, she stepped into the national spotlight to campaign for stronger protections in public venues. She spoke openly about the challenges she encountered - political obstacles, complex legislative processes and moments of opposition – and about the resilience required to keep going. 

For students of law and related disciplines, this offered rare insight into how legislation is shaped in practice. The journey from campaign to consultation, from draft Bill to Royal Assent, demonstrated that law reform is rarely straightforward. It requires persistence, collaboration and a clear sense of purpose. 

Martyn’s Law raises fundamental legal questions about accountability and foreseeability. When is guidance not enough? When should responsibility become a legal duty? How do we ensure that public safety is embedded not only in policy, but in culture? 

These are questions that matter in lecture theatres, in courtrooms and in Parliament. Hearing directly from the person who helped shape this legislation brought those issues into sharp focus. 

Our Annual Law Lecture creates space for meaningful discussion about the role of law in society, and this year’s event did exactly that. Figen Murray’s courage, determination and integrity left a lasting impression on everyone in the room. 

For those studying law, criminology and public policy, the evening was more than a guest lecture. It was a powerful example of how individual initiative can lead to national change – and how the law, at its best, can protect communities before harm occurs.