Commentary on Sections Part 1.Licensing Section 23: Independent review of licensing system including surrender principle
This section places a duty on the Department for Communities to appoint an independent person, within one year of this Act receiving Royal Assent, to undertake a review of the licensing system.
Subsections (2) and (3) set out the areas to be covered by the review and stipulate that the appointed person must report and make recommendations within two years of their appointment.
Subsections (4) to (6) require the Department to lay the report of the review before the Assembly, publish the report and, within six months of publication, produce and publish an action plan to address the recommendations of the review report.
Subsections (7) and (8) give the Department the power, subject to the approval of the Assembly, to modify by regulations the time periods by which the review and the Department’s response must be completed.