# Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647911](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647911)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-10159-of-december-22-2000

## Summary
Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000 (Lei nº 10159) is a Brazilian statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. It authorizes a special budgetary adjustment (crédito especial) for the Federal Government of Brazil, with allocations directed toward the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público da União) within the Fiscal Budget framework.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 10159, de 22 de dezembro de 2000
- **Alternative Names:** Lei nº 10159/2000; Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000
- **Classification:** Statute (instance of formal written document that creates law)
- **Enactment Date:** December 22, 2000
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgated By:** Fernando Henrique Cardoso (President of Brazil, 1995–2002)
- **Determination Method:** Promulgation
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 10159/2000
- **Lexml Brazil URN:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10159
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10159.htm
- **Main Subject (Stated As):** Crédito Especial (Special Budgetary Adjustment)
- **Main Subject (Stated As):** União Federal (Federal Government of Brazil)
- **Main Subject (Stated As):** Destinação (Allocation/End)
- **Main Subject (Stated As):** Ministério Público da União (Federal Public Prosecutor's Office)
- **Main Subject (Stated As):** Orçamento Fiscal (Fiscal Budget)
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **WikiProject Affiliation:** On focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What does Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000 authorize?**
The law authorizes a special budgetary credit (crédito especial) for the Federal Government of Brazil. It specifically addresses allocation within the Fiscal Budget, with the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público da União) identified as a subject of the legislation.

**Who promulgated this law and when?**
The law was promulgated by Fernando Henrique Cardoso in his capacity as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The official act took place on December 22, 2000, in Brasília.

**Where can the official text of this law be found?**
The official text is accessible at the Planalto Presidential Palace website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10159.htm). It is also indexed in the Lexml Brazil system under the identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10159.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000, represents a specific instance of Brazilian federal budgetary legislation enacted at the turn of the millennium. As a statute, it serves as the formal written manifestation of a legal rule concerning public finance allocation. The law is significant because it demonstrates the mechanism by which the Brazilian federal government authorizes extraordinary budgetary credits—special adjustments outside the standard annual budget process—to fund operations of independent institutions such as the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. This ensures the functional autonomy and operational continuity of prosecutorial bodies within the Brazilian legal system. Enacted during the Cardoso administration, it reflects the fiscal management priorities of that era. Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws underscores its relevance to structured legal knowledge bases and the systematic documentation of Brazilian statutory law.

## Notable For
- **Special Budgetary Mechanism:** Authorizes a "crédito especial" (special credit), an extraordinary fiscal adjustment distinct from routine appropriations.
- **Targeted Institutional Allocation:** Explicitly identifies the Ministério Público da União (Federal Public Prosecutor's Office) as a subject, linking the law to the funding of an independent prosecutorial body.
- **Presidential Promulgation:** Bears the authority of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a major figure in Brazil's late-20th-century political and economic reforms.
- **Lexml URN Identifier:** Assigned a formal URN (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10159) under Brazil's legal metadata standard, facilitating digital identification and access.
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its priority status for collaborative legal knowledge curation.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Ontology
Law No. 10159 of December 22, 2000, is formally classified as a **statute**. In legal ontology, a statute is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It serves as a manifestation of statutory law and is recognized as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." Statutes are created through legislation, preceded by draft laws, and caused by legal acts. Under the "edict of government doctrine," statutes are generally in the public domain in jurisdictions such as the United States and France, ensuring unrestricted public access to legal texts.

### Promulgation and Executive Authority
The statute was enacted through the authority of the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The promulgation occurred on **December 22, 2000**, with **Fernando Henrique Cardoso** serving as the head of state and government. Cardoso, who served as president from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2003, was responsible for signing this law into effect. The place of publication was **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil since April 22, 1960. The determination method for this law is explicitly recorded as **promulgation**.

### Subject Matter and Budgetary Provisions
The law addresses specific subjects related to federal fiscal management. As stated in the official text, its main subjects are:

- **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Crédito Especial):** The core purpose of the law is to authorize an extraordinary budgetary credit. In Brazilian public finance, a "crédito especial" is a legal mechanism used to allocate funds for unforeseen or urgent expenses that were not included in the original annual budget law.
- **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The entity within which this budgetary authority applies. The "União Federal" represents the national government, distinct from states and municipalities.
- **Allocation/Destination (Destinação):** This term refers to the specified purpose or flow of the allocated resources.
- **Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público da União):** A key subject of the law. The Ministério Público da União (MPU) is an independent prosecutorial body in Brazil, responsible for defending the legal order, the democratic regime, and social interests. It encompasses the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the Military Public Prosecutor's Office, the Labor Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Federal District and Territories Public Prosecutor's Office.
- **Fiscal Budget (Orçamento Fiscal):** The broader budgetary category under which this special credit is authorized. The Fiscal Budget is one of three components of Brazil's multi-year budgetary framework, covering expenses related to the three branches of government, their funds, organs, and entities.

### Jurisdiction and Linguistic Context
The law applies to the **jurisdiction of Brazil** as a federal statute. Brazil is the largest country in South America and operates as a federal republic with Portuguese as its official language. Accordingly, the **language of the work or name** for this law is **Brazilian Portuguese**. The country's legal system is based on Civil Law traditions, with statutes serving as primary instruments of federal authority.

### Official Identification and Digital Access
The statute is indexed and accessible through several official channels:

- **Legal Citation:** The standard citation is **Lei nº 10159/2000**.
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** The law is assigned the URN **urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10159**. Lexml Brazil is a project aimed at establishing standards for the identification and structuring of legislative and legal documents in the country.
- **Official Online Source:** The full text is hosted by the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic at **https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l10159.htm**. This URL is part of the official "legislacao.presidencia.gov.br" portal.
- **Knowledge Base Status:** The law has a Wikidata description as "Brazilian law" and is on the focus list of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its active maintenance within collaborative legal knowledge projects.

### Contextual Framework: The Brazilian State
The law originates from **Brazil**, a nation with a population of approximately 213.4 million (2025 estimate) and a total area of 8,515,767 km². At the time of this law's enactment in 2000, Brazil was operating under the **Constitution of 1988**, which established the current federal republic structure. The legislative power is exercised by the National Congress of Brazil, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Brazil is a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1945) and the G20. The country declared independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822, and has maintained continuous sovereignty since then. The official currency since July 1, 1994, has been the Brazilian real (BRL).

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2000-12-22;10159)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=10159&ano=2000&data=22/12/2000&ato=127oXUq1EMNpWT18d)