# Law No. 3172 of June 6, 1957 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105649110](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649110) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3172-of-june-6-1957 ## Key Facts - **Title:** Lei nº 3172, de 6 de junho de 1957 - **Alternative Name:** Lei nº 3172/1957 - **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written document that creates law) - **Date of Publication:** June 6, 1957 - **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Approving President:** Juscelino Kubitschek (via promulgation) - **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Main Subject:** Special Pension (Pensão Especial) - **Beneficiary:** Maria das Dores França, widow of Corporal José Luiz de França (Marine Corps/Fuzileiro) - **Pension Amount:** CR$ 1,300.00 monthly (Cruzeiros) - **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-06-06;3172 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3172.htm - **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law - **Wikidata ID:** Q105766456 (inferred from main subject reference) - **WikiProject:** On focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What does Law No. 3172 of June 6, 1957 do?** This Brazilian federal law authorizes the granting of a monthly special pension of CR$ 1,300.00 to Maria das Dores França, who is the widow of José Luiz de França, a corporal in the Brazilian Marine Corps (Fuzileiro). **Who approved and promulgated this law?** The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated on June 6, 1957, during the presidential term of Juscelino Kubitschek. **Where was this law published?** The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as a key administrative center for Brazil in 1957 (though Brasília became the capital in 1960, Rio de Janeiro remained significant for federal publications during this transitional period). **What type of legal instrument is this?** It is a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law, classified as an instance of a legal term or legal concept, and a subclass of written work, document, and rule. Statutes in Brazil, like in many jurisdictions including the United States and France, are generally in the public domain. **How can I access the full text of this law?** The full text is available online through the official Brazilian government portal at the Planalto website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3172.htm) and is indexed under the LexML Brazil identifier system. ## Why It Matters Law No. 3172 of June 6, 1957, while specific in its application, represents several important aspects of Brazilian legal and social history. First, it exemplifies the Brazilian federal government's practice of enacting individualized pension legislation (*pensão especial*) for specific beneficiaries, a common practice in mid-20th century Brazil before the consolidation of more comprehensive social security systems. Such laws provided direct financial support to surviving family members of military personnel or public servants. Secondly, this law is part of the legislative legacy of the Juscelino Kubitschek presidency (1956-1961), a period known for rapid modernization and development ("50 years in 5"), though this specific law deals with a personal pension matter rather than national development policy. The year 1957 falls within Kubitschek's ambitious administration, which oversaw the construction of Brasília and significant infrastructure expansion. From a legal documentation perspective, Law No. 3172 is a prime example of how Brazilian federal statutes are structured, published, and preserved. Its availability through both the official Planalto government archives and the LexML Brazil system demonstrates Brazil's commitment to legal transparency and digital access to legislative documents. As a public domain document, it exemplifies the principle that laws must be freely accessible to all citizens they govern. The law also reflects the administrative structure of Brazil in the late 1950s, published from Rio de Janeiro during the period when Brazil was transitioning its federal administration to the new capital, Brasília (which would be inaugurated in April 1960). This makes it part of the legislative record from the final years of Rio de Janeiro's status as the federal capital. ## Notable For - **Individual Pension Legislation:** Represents a specific category of Brazilian federal law that grants personalized special pensions rather than relying on general pension frameworks - **Kubitschek Era Legislation:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, one of Brazil's most consequential 20th-century presidents known for modernization efforts - **Pre-Brasília Legal Document:** Published from Rio de Janeiro before the transfer of the federal capital to Brasília in 1960 - **Military Family Support:** Provides a documented example of how Brazil provided for surviving family members of Marine Corps personnel in the 1950s - **Digital Preservation:** Fully integrated into Brazil's modern legal information systems (LexML Brazil and Planalto digital archives) - **WikiProject Brazilian Laws Recognition:** Identified as part of a dedicated Wikimedia project to document Brazilian legislation - **Mid-Century Currency Valuation:** The pension amount of CR$ 1,300.00 (Cruzeiros) provides historical economic data point ## Body ### Legislative Classification and Nature Law No. 3172 of June 6, 1957 is formally classified as a **statute** (Portuguese: *estatuto*), which represents a formal written document that creates law. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," this statute serves as a manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system. Statutes in Brazil are created through the legislative process and function as the official record of legal rules enacted by the federal government. This law is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and follows the standard Brazilian federal legislative format. The law's official title follows Brazilian legislative naming conventions: "Lei nº 3172, de 6 de junho de 1957" (Law No. 3172 of June 6, 1957). It is also commonly cited using the legal citation format "Lei nº 3172/1957." ### Content and Purpose The law's primary purpose, as recorded in the law digest, is explicitly stated as: > "CONCEDE A PENSÃO ESPECIAL DE CR 1.300,00 MENSAIS A MARIA DAS DORES FRANÇA, VIUVA DO CABO FUZILEIRO JOSE LUIZ DE FRANÇA." Translation: "Grants a special pension of CR$ 1,300.00 monthly to Maria das Dores França, widow of Corporal Marine José Luiz de França." The **main subject** of the legislation is designated as "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension), referencing the specific type of benefit being conferred. The beneficiary, Maria das Dores França, is identified by her relationship to the deceased service member, José Luiz de França, who held the rank of Cabo Fuzileiro (Corporal in the Marine Corps/Fuzileiros Navais). The monthly pension amount is specified as CR$ 1,300.00, denominated in Cruzeiros (CR$), the Brazilian currency in circulation at the time. ### Historical Context and Presidential Authority The law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** and was promulgated on June 6, 1957. The approving president was **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as President of Brazil from January 31, 1956, to January 31, 1961. Kubitschek's presidency is historically significant for its development slogan "50 years in 5" and for the construction of Brasília, Brazil's new federal capital. The law was published on **June 6, 1957**, in the city of **Rio de Janeiro**. At this time, Rio de Janeiro remained the seat of much federal administrative activity, although the construction of Brasília was underway (the new capital would be inaugurated on April 21, 1960). The publication from Rio de Janeiro situates this law within the final years of Rio's role as the primary center of federal government operations. ### Jurisdiction and Application This statute **applies to the jurisdiction** of Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil) and was enacted at the federal level. As a federal law (*lei federal*), it has application throughout Brazilian territory. The language of the work is designated as **Brazilian Portuguese**, consistent with Brazil's status as the largest Portuguese-speaking nation. Brazil, where this law originated, is the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest by area globally. In 1957, Brazil was operating under the 1946 constitution, during the period known as the **Democratic Period** (1945-1964) before the military coup of 1964. The country has maintained Portuguese as its official language since colonial times and continues to use Portuguese as the language of all federal legislation. ### Legal Documentation and Access The law is assigned the **LexML Brazil identifier**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-06-06;3172`. LexML Brazil is the official system for identifying and locating Brazilian legal documents using Uniform Resource Names (URNs). This identifier follows the standard LexML format, specifying: - Country: Brazil (br) - Authority level: Federal (federal) - Document type: Law (lei) - Date: 1957-06-06 - Number: 3172 The full text of the law is **available online** at the official Brazilian government website: `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3172.htm` This URL is hosted by the **Planalto Presidential Palace** website, which maintains the official digital archive of Brazilian federal legislation. The Casa Civil (Civil House) of the Presidency is responsible for maintaining this legal repository. ### Wikidata and Structured Data Representation The law is documented in **Wikidata**, the free knowledge base, where it is described simply as "Brazilian law." It has been included in the **on focus list of the WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating that it has been identified as part of a systematic effort to document Brazilian legislation in Wikimedia projects. The law's Wikidata entry includes structured properties such as: - Title - Country (Brazil) - Instance of (statute) - Publication date (1957-06-06) - Place of publication (Rio de Janeiro) - Language of work (Brazilian Portuguese) - Applies to jurisdiction (Brazil) - Legal citation (Lei nº 3172/1957) - Approved by (Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil) - Main subject (Special Pension) - Work available at URL The **references** for this information cite multiple official sources, including the LexML Brazil system (accessed January 28, 2021) and the Presidency's legislative portal (accessed February 17, 2021). ### Related Concept: Statutes in Legal Systems As an instance of a **statute**, this law belongs to a broader category of legal instruments that includes acts, executive orders, and by-laws. Statutes function as the concrete manifestation of statutory law and are composed of "legal norms." They are caused by "legislation" or "legal act" and result in "statutory law." In the context of copyright, statutes like Law No. 3172 are generally considered **public domain** in jurisdictions such as the United States and France under the "edict of government doctrine," which holds that official legal documents are not subject to copyright restrictions. Statutes in the Brazilian legal system follow specific procedures: they are preceded by "draft laws" (*projetos de lei*) and must be approved by the National Congress of Brazil (comprising the Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies) and sanctioned by the President of the Republic. In the case of Law No. 3172, the final step was promulgation by President Juscelino Kubitschek. ### Brazilian Legal System Context Brazil's legal system is based on **civil law**, derived from Portuguese law and influenced by Napoleonic, German, and Italian legal traditions. The country operates as a federal republic with 26 states and one Federal District. Federal laws like Law No. 3172 apply nationally and take precedence over state laws on matters of federal competence. In 1957, Brazil was operating under the **Constitution of 1946**, which had reestablished democratic institutions following the Estado Novo dictatorship (1937-1945). The 1946 constitution remained in effect until the military coup of 1964, which led to a series of authoritarian constitutions before the current **Constitution of 1988** was adopted. The Brazilian **National Congress**, responsible for federal legislation, is bicameral, consisting of the Federal Senate (81 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (513 deputies). Federal laws must pass both houses before presidential sanction. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-06-06;3172) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3172&ano=1957&data=06/06/1957&ato=571ATT65UMNRVT142) 3. LexML Brasil