Since 1958 Sudan's various military governments have interfered with the judicial process. Following the military takeover in 1989, for example, the National Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) issued a decree that gave the president power to appoint and dismiss all judges. Al-Bashir dismissed many, apparently because they were insufficiently committed to applying sharia in their decisions, and replaced them with supporters of the NIF. The judiciary effectively became responsible to the president or security forces.