According to the terms of Article 8, Item 2 of the SIRP Framework Law, the Council for the Oversight of the Intelligence System of the Portuguese Republic (CFSIRP) is made up of three citizens of proven competence and in full enjoyment of their civil and political rights, elected in a secret ballot by the Assembly of the Republic, with a two-thirds majority of the Members of Parliament present, where this is no fewer than a simple majority of the total number of Members of Parliament.
The members are elected for a period of 4 years. The current members of CFSIRP were elected on 27 November 2008, and took office on 18 December 2008.