# Law No. 171 of December 15, 1947

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647691](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647691)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-171-of-december-15-1947

## Summary
Law No. 171 of December 15, 1947 (Lei nº 171/1947) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to regularize the situation of retired personnel (*reformados*) and pensioners (*aposentados*) under Article 177 of the 1947 Constitutional Charter. Approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, this law establishes norms regarding processes, time limits, and the status of public service employees. It serves as a formal legal document within the Brazilian civil law framework, written in Brazilian Portuguese and applicable to the entire federation.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 171, de 15 de dezembro de 1947
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 171/1947
- **Date of Enactment:** December 15, 1947
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (method: promulgation)
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **LexML Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-12-15;171
- **Primary Purpose:** Regularizes the status of retired and pensioned individuals per Article 177 of the 1947 Constitutional Charter
- **Main Subjects:** Process (*Processo*), Time Limit (*Prazo*), Retirement (*Aposentado*), Employee (*Funcionarios*), Legal Norm (*Normas*), Activity (*Atividade*), Public Service (*Serviço Publico*)
- **WikiProject Classification:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the specific purpose of Law No. 171?**
The law is designed to regularize the situation of individuals who were retired (*reformados*) or pensioned (*aposentados*) specifically under the provisions of Article 177 of the 1947 Constitutional Charter.

**Who enacted Law No. 171 and when?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil on December 15, 1947, through the legal method of promulgation.

**In what language and location was this law published?**
Law No. 171 was written in Brazilian Portuguese and published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at the time.

**What are the key subject areas addressed in this statute?**
The statute addresses administrative processes, time limits (*prazos*), regulations regarding retirement, norms for employees, and general activities related to public service.

**How is this law identified in legal databases?**
The law is formally cited as "Lei nº 171/1947" and carries the standardized LexML Brazil identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-12-15;171`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 171 matters because it provided necessary legal normalization for public servants and retirees during a specific transitional period in Brazilian constitutional history. By addressing the status of those affected by Article 177 of the 1947 Constitutional Charter, the statute helped clarify the rights, benefits, and administrative processes for a significant segment of the state workforce. As a statute, it represents a critical mechanism through which the Brazilian government exercises its authority to create concrete, written legal rules. Its existence ensures that the regularization of retirement and pension statuses was not merely an administrative policy but a codified statutory right, falling under the broader principle that laws serve as the definitive, accessible reference for governance. Furthermore, its preservation in legal databases like LexML ensures continued access to this historical legal framework.

## Notable For
- **Constitutional Alignment:** Directly references and implements provisions from Article 177 of the "Carta Constitucional de 1947" (Constitutional Charter of 1947).
- **Capital Context:** Published in Rio de Janeiro at a time when it was the federal capital (the capital moved to Brasília in 1960).
- **Standardized Identification:** Possesses a specific LexML Brazil ID (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-12-15;171`), facilitating its integration into modern digital legal systems.
- **Scope of Subjects:** Covers a distinct combination of legal concepts including process, time limits, and public service norms within a single legislative act.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 171 is an instance of a **statute**, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it functions as a concrete manifestation of statutory law, serving as the official record of legal rules enacted by the government. It is classified as a subclass of "written work" and "document," and in the context of Brazilian law, it falls under the category of federal legislation (*lei federal*). Following the "edict of government doctrine," like other official legal enactments, this statute is considered to be in the public domain, ensuring that the legal rules it contains are freely accessible to the public without copyright restrictions.

### Jurisdictional Context
The law applies to the **Federative Republic of Brazil**, the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest nation in the world by area. Brazil is a federal republic operating under a presidential system and representative democracy, with Portuguese as its official language. The jurisdiction encompasses 26 states and one Federal District. While the current capital is Brasília (since 1960), Law No. 171 was enacted and published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital from the independence period until 1960. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the language used for all official federal acts and documents within the country.

### Enactment and Authority
The procedural history of Law No. 171 indicates that it was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific method of approval used was **promulgation**, which is the formal act of proclaiming a new law or statute. The publication date is recorded as **December 15, 1947**. This places the enactment shortly after the re-democratization of Brazil and the promulgation of a new constitution (the 1946 Constitution, referred to in the law's digest as the 1947 Constitutional Charter context), reflecting efforts to stabilize public administration during the Fourth Brazilian Republic.

### Content and Subject Matter
The core content of Law No. 171 is summarized in its legal digest: "REGULARIZA A SITUAÇÃO DOS REFORMADOS E APOSENTADOS PELO ARTIGO 177, DA CARTA CONSTITUCIONAL DE 1947" (Regularizes the situation of the retired and pensioned by Article 177, of the Constitutional Charter of 1947). The law addresses several specific legal subjects necessary for this regularization:

*   **Process (*Processo*):** Establishes the administrative or legal procedures required for regularization.
*   **Time Limit (*Prazo*):** Defines the deadlines within which actions or claims must be made.
*   **Retirement (*Aposentado*):** Directly pertains to the status and rights of retired individuals.
*   **Employee (*Funcionarios*):** Addresses the classification of workers within the public service.
*   **Legal Norm (*Normas*):** Sets the specific rules and regulations to be followed.
*   **Activity (*Atividade*):** Relates to the work activities or service history relevant to retirement.
*   **Public Service (*Serviço Publico*):** Governs the sector in which the affected individuals were employed.

### Identification and Archival
The law is cataloged with specific identifiers that aid in its retrieval and citation within the Brazilian legal system:
*   **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-12-15;171`
*   **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 171/1947
*   **Wikidata Description:** "Brazilian law"
*   **WikiProject:** It is tracked under the scope of "WikiProject Brazilian Laws," highlighting its relevance to the documentation of the country's legal history.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1947-12-15;171)
2. LexML Brasil