# Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648947](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648947)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3055-of-december-22-1956

## Summary
Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956 (Lei nº 3055, de 22 de dezembro de 1956) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek. It establishes the administrative and judicial division of the Federal Territory of Amapá for the five-year period from 1954 to 1958. The law is classified as a formal written document that creates statutory law and applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil, with its official text available in Brazilian Portuguese.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3055, de 22 de dezembro de 1956 (Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956)
- **Alternative Citation:** Lei nº 3055/1956
- **Classification:** Instance of a statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Date of Promulgation:** December 22, 1956
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **Country of Origin:** Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Subject Matter:** Amapá (referred to as "Estado Do Amapa (Ap)" in the law)
- **Legal Digest/Focus:** "FIXA, A DIVISÃO ADMINISTRATIVA E JUDICIARIA DO TERRITORIO FEDERAL DO AMAPA, PARA O QUINQUENIO 1954-1958" (Establishes the administrative and judicial division of the Federal Territory of Amapá for the 1954-1958 five-year period)
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-22;3055
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3055.htm
- **WikiProject:** On focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What is the purpose of Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956?**
The law establishes the administrative and judicial divisions of the Federal Territory of Amapá for the 1954-1958 five-year period. It provides the official framework for how this Brazilian territory was to be organized and administered during that specific timeframe.

**Under whose authority was this law enacted?**
The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically under President Juscelino Kubitschek, on December 22, 1956.

**Where can the official text of this law be found?**
The official text is available at the Brazilian government's Planalto website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3055.htm) and is identified by the Lexml Brazil ID: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-22;3055.

**What is the legal classification of this document?**
Law No. 3055 is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and is considered a subclass of written work, document, and rule.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956, holds historical and administrative significance as it defined the organizational structure of the Federal Territory of Amapá during a critical period in Brazil's development. Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek—a period known for rapid industrialization and modernization efforts—this law represents the federal government's role in administering and structuring its territories. By establishing clear administrative and judicial divisions for a five-year period, the law provided stability and defined governance structures for Amapá, which would later become a full state of Brazil in 1990. The law exemplifies the Brazilian federal government's approach to territorial administration in the mid-20th century and serves as a primary source document for understanding the historical development of Brazil's current state structure.

## Notable For
- **Territorial Administration:** Establishes specific administrative and judicial divisions for the Federal Territory of Amapá during the 1954-1958 period.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during Juscelino Kubitschek's presidency, a pivotal era of Brazilian modernization and economic development.
- **Pre-Statehood Governance:** Provides insight into how Amapá was administered before it achieved statehood in 1990.
- **Legal Documentation:** Serves as an example of Brazilian federal statutory law from the 1950s, preserved in official government archives.
- **Digital Preservation:** Available through both the official Planalto government website and the Lexml Brazil system, ensuring public accessibility.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 3055 of December 22, 1956, is formally classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law. In the hierarchy of legal instruments, a statute functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law and is characterized as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." This classification places it among the primary instruments through which government authority is formally exercised and recorded.

As a statute, the document shares the general characteristics of this legal category: it is a formal written enactment that creates binding legal rules. Statutes are typically in the public domain in jurisdictions like the United States and France under the "edict of government doctrine," ensuring public access to official legal documents. In Brazil, such laws are similarly accessible to the public through official government channels.

### Historical and Political Context
The law was promulgated on **December 22, 1956**, during the presidency of **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. Kubitschek's presidency is historically noted for its ambitious development programs, including the construction of the new capital, Brasília, and policies aimed at rapid industrialization ("fifty years of progress in five").

The law was published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital of Brazil until 1960 when Brasília was inaugurated. This places Law No. 3055 in the final years of Rio de Janeiro's status as the national capital.

### Subject Matter and Jurisdiction
The law's primary subject is **Amapá**, specifically referred to in the document as "Estado Do Amapa (Ap)." At the time of this law's enactment, Amapá was a **Federal Territory** of Brazil, not yet a state. Federal territories in Brazil were administrative divisions directly under federal control, and this law was part of the mechanism by which the federal government administered such territories.

The law's stated purpose, as recorded in its legal digest, is to **"FIXA, A DIVISÃO ADMINISTRATIVA E JUDICIARIA DO TERRITORIO FEDERAL DO AMAPA, PARA O QUINQUENIO 1954-1958"** (Establishes the administrative and judicial division of the Federal Territory of Amapá for the 1954-1958 five-year period). This indicates that the law defined:
- **Administrative divisions:** The civil administrative structure of the territory
- **Judicial divisions:** The organization of courts and judicial administration in the territory
- **Temporal scope:** The specific five-year period of 1954-1958

Notably, the law was enacted in late 1956 but covered a period beginning in 1954, suggesting it may have been formalizing or adjusting divisions that had already been in effect or were planned for that administrative cycle.

### Publication and Accessibility
The law was officially published on **December 22, 1956**, and its text is preserved and accessible through multiple official channels:

1. **Planalto Website:** The official text is hosted by the Brazilian federal government at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3055.htm, maintained by the Civil House of the Presidency.

2. **Lexml Brazil System:** The law has the identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-22;3055` in the Lexml Brazil system, which is part of the country's legal information infrastructure for identifying and retrieving legal documents.

3. **Presidential Archives:** The law is referenced in the official records of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, as documented at https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3055&ano=1956&data=22/12/1956&ato=a82EzaE1EeNRVT54e.

### Geographic and Administrative Context
**Amapá** is located in northern Brazil, bordered by French Guiana to the north, Suriname to the northwest, Pará to the south and west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. During the period covered by this law (1954-1958), Amapá was administered as a federal territory, a status it held from 1943 until it was elevated to statehood in 1990.

The federal government maintained direct control over territorial administration, with laws like No. 3055 serving to define how these territories were organized for governance and judicial purposes. The establishment of administrative divisions would have determined how local government functions were distributed across the territory, while judicial divisions would have defined court jurisdictions and the organization of the legal system within the territory.

### Language and Format
The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil. It follows the standard format for Brazilian federal legislation of the period, identified by its law number (3055) and date of promulgation (December 22, 1956).

### Relationship to Brazilian Legal Framework
As a federal statute, Law No. 3055 operates within Brazil's legal system as a normative act created through the legislative process and sanctioned by the executive branch. It applies to the entire **jurisdiction of Brazil** but specifically concerns the administrative and judicial organization of the Federal Territory of Amapá.

The law is tracked and documented as part of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its recognition in structured knowledge systems and its importance for understanding Brazilian legal history.

### Related Legal Concepts and Documents
The law exists within the broader context of Brazilian statutory law, sharing characteristics with other federal laws:
- It is an **instance of a statute**, placing it in the category of formal written documents that create law
- It was **approved by the Presidency** through the promulgation method, signed by President Juscelino Kubitschek
- It has a defined **publication date** and **place of publication** (Rio de Janeiro)
- It carries a **legal citation** format: Lei nº 3055/1956

The law's focus on territorial administration connects it to the broader history of Brazil's territorial evolution, as the country's internal divisions have changed multiple times throughout its history, with territories being created, modified, and in some cases transformed into states.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1956-12-22;3055)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3055&ano=1956&data=22/12/1956&ato=a82EzaE1EeNRVT54e)
3. LexML Brasil