# Law No. 10216 of April 6, 2001

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q10317019](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10317019)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-10216-of-april-6-2001

## Summary
**Law No. 10216 of April 6, 2001** is a Brazilian statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Officially cited as *Lei nº 10216/2001*, this formal written document is also recognized by the aliases **"Lei Paulo Delgado"** and **"Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica"** (Psychiatric Reform Law). It was established to create law within the jurisdiction of Brazil and is documented in the *Diário Oficial da União*.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 10216, de 6 de abril de 2001
- **Also Known As:** Lei Paulo Delgado, Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica, Lei nº 10.216 (6 de abril de 2001)
- **Date of Approval:** April 6, 2001
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approving President:** Fernando Henrique Cardoso (determination method: promulgation)
- **Legal Classification:** Instance of a statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Official Publication:** *Diário Oficial da União* (Section 2, electronic edition of April 9, 2001, p. 2)
- **LexML ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2001-04-06;10216
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/120v5p0h
- **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Copyright Status:** As a statute (edict of government), it is generally considered public domain in jurisdictions like the United States and France.

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 10216 of April 6, 2001?**
It is a Brazilian statute formally titled *Lei nº 10216, de 6 de abril de 2001*, which serves as a written document creating law. It is widely known by the aliases "Lei Paulo Delgado" and "Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica."

**Who enacted and approved Law No. 10216?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The specific determination method was promulgation by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso on April 6, 2001.

**Where was this law published?**
The law was published in the *Diário Oficial da União* (Official Gazette of the Union) in Brasília. It appeared in the electronic edition on April 9, 2001, on page 2.

**What type of legal document is this?**
Law No. 10216 is classified as a statute. In legal terms, a statute is a formal written document that creates law, functioning as the manifestation of statutory law and acting as an official record of legal rules enacted by a government.

**Is Law No. 10216 copyrighted?**
As a statute, it is generally considered to be in the public domain. Under the "edict of government doctrine," official legal documents such as legislative enactments are not subject to copyright in many jurisdictions to ensure public accessibility.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 10216 represents a critical instrument of the Brazilian government's authority to formally document and enact legal rules. As a statute, it is the tangible manifestation of statutory law, providing the concrete, written evidence necessary for the governance of society. The law is particularly notable for its association with psychiatric reform in Brazil, as indicated by its alias "Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica," suggesting a significant impact on health policy and the rights of individuals receiving psychiatric care. By being formally recorded in the *Diário Oficial da União*, it ensures that these legal mandates are accessible, enforceable, and transparent to the Brazilian public. Its status as a public domain document further reinforces the democratic principle that laws governing the people must be freely owned and accessible by the people.

## Notable For
- **Legislative Aliases:** Distinctively referred to as "Lei Paulo Delgado" and "Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica."
- **Presidential Promulgation:** Enacted during the administration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a key figure in Brazil's recent democratic history.
- **Specific Lexml Identification:** Holds the specific Legal XML (LexML) identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2001-04-06;10216`, facilitating its integration into digital legal information systems.
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Listed on the focus list of the WikiProject Brazilian Laws, highlighting its importance in the documentation of Brazilian legislation.
- **Class:** Classified as a "statute," connecting it to a foundational legal concept recognized globally and equivalent to `https://schema.org/Legislation`.

## Body

### Legal Definition and Nature
Law No. 10216 of April 6, 2001, is fundamentally a **statute**. In the context of legal systems, a statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law. This classification places the entity as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," serving as the physical or formal expression of a legal rule. Unlike abstract legal theories, this law acts as the definitive "manifestation of statutory law," created through the process of legislation. Structurally, like other statutes, it is composed of "legal norms" and functions as an official record of legal rules enacted by the government authority. As a statute, it is generally considered to be in the public domain in many jurisdictions (such as the United States and France) under the edict of government doctrine, ensuring that the text is not subject to copyright restrictions.

### Enactment and Executive Approval
The legislative lifecycle of this entity culminated on **April 6, 2001**, when it was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific determination method for this approval was **promulgation**. The head of state at the time, **Fernando Henrique Cardoso**, served as the approving authority, sanctioning the document into law. This action occurred during the period of Brazil's history when the country was operating as a federal republic under the 1988 Constitution. The transition of the law from a proposal to a formal statute followed the standard legislative procedures where draft laws are caused by legislation and result in statutory law.

### Publication and Official Record
To become enforceable and officially recognized, the law was published in the **Diário Oficial da União** (Official Gazette of the Union). This publication serves as the official vehicle for government notifications in Brazil. The specific publication details for Law No. 10216 list the place of publication as **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil since 1960. The law appeared in the **electronic edition** of the *Diário Oficial da União* on **April 9, 2001**, specifically on **page 2**. It is cited legally as **Lei nº 10216/2001**. The text is also available digitally at the official URL (`https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/leis_2001/l10216.htm`) and is indexed in legal databases such as LexML under the ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2001-04-06;10216`.

### Jurisdictional and National Context
This law applies specifically to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. Brazil, the origin country for this statute, is the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest nation in the world by area. As a federal republic with a presidential system, Brazil's legal framework operates through a tripartite government structure where statutes like this are enacted by the legislative branch and sanctioned by the executive. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, reflecting the country's official language since its independence from Portugal in 1822. The law exists within the broader context of Brazil's legal history, which includes the 1988 Constitution (known as the "Citizen Constitution") and the country's adherence to civil law traditions.

### Identification and Metadata
The entity is identifiable through various structured data systems and aliases beyond its primary title. It is widely recognized as the **"Lei Paulo Delgado"** and the **"Lei da Reforma Psiquiátrica"** (Psychiatric Reform Law), names that likely refer to its author or its subject matter regarding mental health policy. In the sphere of knowledge management and digital libraries, the law holds a **Google Knowledge Graph ID** of `/g/120v5p0h` and is included in the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**. It is cataloged under the class of "statute," which connects it to global identifiers such as the Library of Congress Authority ID `sh85127611` and the Schema.org equivalent class for Legislation. These identifiers ensure that the law is cross-referenced and retrievable across international information systems.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:2001-04-06;10216)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=10216&ano=2001&data=06/04/2001&ato=b4foXWE5kMNpWT0b8)