The Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 put in place certain additional legislative measures to combat organised crime. 

Among the measures are those contained in Section 8, which provides that certain offences under Part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, as amended, are deemed to be scheduled offences for the purposes of Part V of the Offences against the State Act 1939.

 The Section declares that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice and the preservation of public peace and order in relation to these offences.

The effect of this Section is that the offences in question shall be tried in the Special Criminal Court unless the Director of Public Prosecutions directs that a person not be sent forward for trial by that court.

The offences under Part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 to which Section 8 refers are:

Section 71A ‐ directing the activities of a criminal organisation

Section 72 ‐ participating in or contributing to certain activities of a criminal organisation

Section 73 ‐ committing an offence for a criminal organisation

Section 76 ‐ liability for offences by bodies corporate