# Law-decree No. 4657, of September 4, 1942

> Brazilian law-decree

**Wikidata**: [Q10316997](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10316997)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-decree-no-4657-of-september-4-1942

## Summary
Law-decree No. 4657, of September 4, 1942, is a Brazilian statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under Getúlio Vargas. Also known as the "Lei de introdução ao Código Civil" (LICC) or "Lei de Introdução às Normas do Direito Brasileiro" (LINDB), this decree-law serves as a formal written document creating law within the Brazilian jurisdiction.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Decreto-Lei nº 4657, de 4 de setembro de 1942.
- **Common Aliases:** LICC (Lei de introdução ao Código Civil), LINDB (Lei de Introdução às Normas do Direito Brasileiro).
- **Legal Classification:** Instance of a statute and a decree-law.
- **Enactment Date:** September 4, 1942.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (promulgated by Getúlio Vargas).
- **Publication Date:** September 9, 1942.
- **Publication Medium:** Diário Oficial da União (page 1).
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil.
- **Legal Citation:** Decreto-Lei n° 4657/1942.
- **Lexml ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:decreto.lei:1942-09-04;4657.
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/12ckhrqtw.
- **WikiProject:** Listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## FAQs
**What are the alternative names for Law-decree No. 4657?**
This law-decree is commonly referred to as the LICC (Lei de introdução ao Código Civil) or the LINDB (Lei de Introdução às Normas do Direito Brasileiro).

**Who enacted this law and when?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically through promulgation by Getúlio Vargas on September 4, 1942.

**Where was this document officially published?**
It was published in the *Diário Oficial da União* on September 9, 1942, appearing on page 1, with the place of publication listed as Rio de Janeiro.

**What type of legal document is this?**
It is classified as both a "statute" (a formal written document that creates law) and a "decree-law," functioning as a manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system.

**Is this document subject to copyright?**
As a statute and official legal document, it is generally considered to be in the public domain under the "edict of government doctrine," which holds that government enactments are not copyrightable to ensure public access.

## Why It Matters
Law-decree No. 4657 matters as a foundational legal instrument in Brazil, serving as the "Introduction to the Civil Code" and the "Introduction to the Norms of Brazilian Law." As a statute, it represents the formal, written manifestation of statutory law, acting as the definitive reference point for how legal rules are documented and applied. Its status as a decree-law enacted during the Vargas era places it within a significant period of Brazilian legal structuring. Furthermore, like all statutes, its public domain status ensures that the legal rules it governs remain accessible to the public, reinforcing principles of open government and the rule of law in Brazil's federal republic.

## Notable For
- **Dual Nomenclature:** Recognized by both its historical acronym LICC and its modern designation LINDB.
- **Executive Origin:** Enacted as a decree-law during the administration of President Getúlio Vargas.
- **Standardization:** Assigned a specific Lexml ID (urn:lex:br:federal:decreto.lei:1942-09-04;4657) for standardized legal referencing in Brazil.
- **Cataloging:** Included in the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, highlighting its importance in the corpus of Brazilian legislation.
- **Legal Classification:** Explicitly categorized as a "decree-law" within the broader class of "statutes."

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law-decree No. 4657 is fundamentally a **statute**, defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," it functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. It is specifically categorized as a **decree-law**, a type of executive order or legislative act issued by the executive authority. Structurally, the document is composed of legal norms and serves as a part of the broader legal framework of Brazil. In terms of intellectual property, this statute follows the "edict of government doctrine," meaning it is in the public domain in jurisdictions like the United States and France. This policy ensures that official legal documents, including legislative enactments, are not subject to copyright, allowing unrestrained public access to the laws governing society.

### Enactment and Executive Authority
The law was enacted on **September 4, 1942**, by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The determination method for its approval was **promulgation**, a formal act of proclaiming a new law or statute. The specific executive authority associated with this promulgation was **Getúlio Vargas**, who served as the President of Brazil during that period. This places the decree-law within the historical context of the Vargas Era, a time defined by significant political and legislative changes in the country. The entity is also identified by the Google Knowledge Graph ID `/g/12ckhrqtw`.

### Publication and Official Record
Following its approval, the law-decree was officially published on **September 9, 1942**, in the **Diário Oficial da União** (Official Gazette of the Union), which serves as the official publication medium for the Brazilian government. The document appeared on **page 1** of the publication. The place of publication recorded for this document is **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the capital of Brazil at the time (the capital was moved to Brasília in 1960). The text of the statute is in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil.

### Jurisdictional Context
This law-decree applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest nation in the world by area. Brazil is a federal republic with a presidential system and a representative democracy. The country operates under the Constitution of Brazil, promulgated on October 5, 1988, which established the current federal republic structure. The legislative body responsible for the broader legal context in which this decree-law sits is the National Congress of Brazil, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The highest judicial authority in this jurisdiction is the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

### Identifiers and Metadata
The document is cataloged with several technical identifiers to facilitate its retrieval and management in legal databases:
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:decreto.lei:1942-09-04;4657`
- **Legal Citation:** `Decreto-Lei n° 4657/1942`
- **WikiProject:** It is on the focus list of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance in the organization and maintenance of legal articles on Wikimedia projects.

### Geographic and Demographic Scope
As a statute applicable to Brazil, Law-decree No. 4657 governs a nation with a population of approximately 213.4 million people (2025 estimate) and a land area of 8,515,767 km². The country spans diverse geographical features, including the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal wetlands, and the Atlantic Forest. Brazil shares borders with every South American nation except Chile and Ecuador, including Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The country's economy is the largest in Latin America, with significant agricultural and industrial sectors, and the currency used is the Brazilian real (BRL).

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:decreto.lei:1942-09-04;4657)
2. [Source](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/decreto-lei/del4657.htm)