# Law No. 237 of February 12, 1948

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649889](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649889)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-237-of-february-12-1948

## Summary
Law No. 237 of February 12, 1948 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted on that date. Officially titled "Lei nº 237, de 12 de fevereiro de 1948," it was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil through promulgation and published in Rio de Janeiro. The law's primary subjects, as indicated in its metadata, are rights, advantage, and extension (Extensão).

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 237, de 12 de fevereiro de 1948
- **Alias / Legal Citation:** Lei nº 237/1948
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Date of Approval/Publication:** February 12, 1948 (via promulgation)
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Main Subjects:** Rights (Direitos), Advantage (Vantagens), Extension (Extensão)
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-02-12;237
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **Applies To Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Wikimedia Focus:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the official designation and citation of this law?**
The law is officially designated as "Lei nº 237, de 12 de fevereiro de 1948" and is formally cited as "Lei nº 237/1948" in legal references.

**When and how was this law enacted?**
It was enacted on February 12, 1948, through the method of promulgation by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with the same date serving as its publication date.

**What type of legal instrument is Law No. 237?**
It is a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. As a statute, it is a concrete manifestation of statutory law within Brazil's legal system.

**What are the primary subject areas addressed by the law?**
The law's metadata indicates its main subjects are rights (Direitos), advantage (Vantagens), and extension (Extensão), suggesting it pertains to civil, administrative, or social welfare matters, though the full text is required for precise interpretation.

**In which jurisdiction and language is this law applicable?**
The law applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of Brazil and is written in Brazilian Portuguese, the country's official language.

**Where was the law published and how can it be accessed digitally?**
It was published in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of Brazil. Digitally, it is accessible via Brazil's LexML system using the persistent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-02-12;237.

**Is this law documented in any collaborative knowledge projects?**
Yes, it is on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, a Wikimedia initiative dedicated to improving the coverage and accuracy of Brazilian legislation on platforms like Wikipedia.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 237 of 1948 is a component of Brazil's statutory legal framework, contributing to the body of law that governed the nation in the post-World War II era. As a formally enacted statute, it represents the exercise of legislative authority and the formal recording of legal norms that affect rights, advantages, and extensions within Brazilian society. Its preservation in digital archives like LexML and documentation by WikiProject Brazilian Laws ensure its continued accessibility for legal research, historical analysis, and public reference. The law's existence underscores the principle that statutory instruments must be publicly available to uphold transparency and the rule of law. While its specific provisions are not detailed in the provided metadata, its classification and subjects indicate it played a role in shaping civil or administrative law during a significant period of Brazil's democratic restoration following the Estado Novo regime.

## Notable For
- **Historical Federal Statute:** It is a mid-20th century Brazilian federal law, enacted during the presidency of Eurico Gaspar Dutra (1946–1951), a key era of democratic reconsolidation.
- **Digital Preservation Pioneer:** It possesses a formal LexML Brazil identifier, placing it within Brazil's national system for the persistent identification and digital access to legal norms.
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Its inclusion on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its relevance to the systematic documentation of Brazil's legislative history on Wikimedia platforms.
- **Subject Specificity:** Its main subjects include "extension" (Extensão), a term that may denote provisions on territorial scope, administrative reach, or legal applicability, distinguishing it from laws focused solely on rights or benefits.
- **Capital City Context:** Its publication in Rio de Janeiro reflects the city's status as Brazil's capital before the transfer to Brasília in 1960, providing a temporal marker for its historical context.
- **Citation Standard:** It follows the standard Brazilian legal citation format "Lei nº 237/1948," ensuring consistent reference in legal doctrine and practice.

## Body

### Legal Identity and Conceptual Classification
Law No. 237 of February 12, 1948 is formally classified as an **instance of a statute**. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. This classification positions the law as a specific legal term and concept, functioning as the tangible manifestation of statutory law. It is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule" within knowledge systems. The law's creation followed the legislative process and was caused by a formal legal act, resulting in statutory law. As a statute, it is composed of legal norms and is part of the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act."

### Enactment Process and Formalities
The law was **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** on **February 12, 1948**. The method of enactment was **promulgation**, a formal act by the head of state that completes the legislative process. The **publication date** is identical to the approval date, February 12, 1948, indicating it was enacted and made publicly official on the same day. The **place of publication** was **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as Brazil's capital at the time. The **legal citation** for the law is "Lei nº 237/1948," the standard format for referencing Brazilian federal statutes.

### Jurisdictional and Linguistic Scope
The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil**, meaning its legal force is confined to the territorial and national boundaries of the country. It was written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the federation. This linguistic specification ensures the law's text is authoritative in its original language and aligns with the constitutional language requirements of Brazil.

### Documented Subject Matter
The law's **main subjects** are extracted from its metadata and include:
- **Rights** (Direitos): Suggesting provisions related to legal entitlements or civil liberties.
- **Advantage** (Vantagens): Indicating sections that confer benefits, privileges, or favorable conditions.
- **Extension** (Extensão): Likely referring to the scope, reach, or territorial application of the law's provisions.
These subjects are presented as distinct values in the source data, with "Extensão" specifically noted with the qualifier "stated_as." Without the full text, the precise interplay of these subjects cannot be determined, but they collectively point toward a law regulating entitlements, benefits, and geographic or legal scope.

### Digital Identification and Repository Data
The law is persistently identified in Brazil's national legal digital repository by the **LexML Brazil ID**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-02-12;237`. This identifier follows the LexML standard for Brazilian legislation, enabling reliable citation and access. In global knowledge bases, it is described succinctly as a "Brazilian law" in Wikidata. The law is also **on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative Wikimedia project aimed at improving the quality and coverage of Brazilian legal articles on Wikipedia and related projects.

### Contextual Relationships and Systemic Role
As a statute, this law is part of the hierarchical structure of Brazilian legal norms. It was **caused by legislation** (the act of lawmaking) and **follows draft laws** in the legislative process. It **has parts** that are legal norms and is itself **a part of** the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act." Its **effect** is to create statutory law within Brazil's legal order. The law's existence in the public domain (as is typical for statutes in many jurisdictions) ensures that the text of the law itself is accessible to the public, reinforcing principles of open government.

### Metadata Provenance and Authority
All structured properties for this law are sourced from a reference with the timestamp **January 28, 2021**, and point to the authoritative LexML Brazil URL: `https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-02-12;237`. This URL serves as the primary source for the law's official text and metadata. The data's inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws signifies its recognition as a notable piece of legislation warranting documentation and verification in a public knowledge base.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-02-12;237)