This review was commissioned by the Department for Communities under section 23 of the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) (2021). The report has been produced by the University of Stirling.

The legislation required the review to include the following:

• an assessment of the operation of the surrender principle, an examination of options for reforming it and an assessment of the implications of those options for licence holders
• an analysis of the geographical distribution of licensed premises in Northern Ireland
• an analysis of the economic and social impact of the licensing system and the impact of the licensing system on personal and public health
• an assessment of the extent to which the licensing system meets consumer demand and local community needs, when set alongside the impact it has on personal and public health and on public order
• whatever recommendations for improving the licensing system that the reviewer considers appropriate. 

The Department for Communities will now consider carefully the report’s findings and each of its 26 recommendations. The legislation requires DfC to publish a plan setting out how it will respond to the report within six months of publication.