# Law No. 3318 of November 18, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648714](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648714)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3318-of-november-18-1957

## Summary
Law No. 3318 of November 18, 1957 is a Brazilian federal statute promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek that establishes special budgetary adjustments and addresses the structure of Regional Labor Courts within Brazil's judiciary. This legislative act, published in Rio de Janeiro during Brazil's federal republic period, represents a formal written instrument creating statutory law in Brazilian Portuguese and remains accessible through the official government portal.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3318, de 18 de novembro de 1957
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3318/1957
- **Promulgation Date:** November 18, 1957
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Determination Method:** Promulgation
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Primary Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial"), Regional Labor Courts ("Tribunal Regional Do Trabalho (Trt)"), and judiciary ("Judiciario")
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-11-18;3318
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3318.htm
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **Wikimedia Project Focus:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain under the edict of government doctrine (applies to official legal documents in United States and French jurisdictions)
- **Library Classification Equivalents:** Dewey Decimal 342.057 and 348.02; Library of Congress Authority ID sh85127611; GND ID 4020660-9
- **Schema.org Equivalent:** https://schema.org/Legislation

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 3318 of November 18, 1957?**
Law No. 3318 is a Brazilian federal statute from 1957 that creates special budgetary credits and modifies aspects of the Regional Labor Courts, serving as a formal manifestation of statutory law in Brazil's legal system.

**What specific areas does this law regulate?**
The law addresses three main areas: special budgetary adjustments (credito especial), the organizational structure of Regional Labor Courts (Tribunal Regional do Trabalho), and broader judiciary matters within Brazil's federal system.

**Who signed this law into effect?**
President Juscelino Kubitschek promulgated the law on November 18, 1957, exercising executive authority under Brazil's presidential system during his developmentalist presidency.

**Where was this law published and why does the location matter?**
The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as Brazil's capital until April 1960 when the government completed its relocation to Brasília, making this one of the late legislative acts issued from the former capital.

**How can legal researchers access the full text?**
The complete text is available at the official Planalto portal (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3318.htm) and is indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-11-18;3318.

**What type of legal instrument is this classified as?**
This document classifies as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws, and functioning as a subclass of written work, document, and rule.

**In what language was the law originally drafted?**
The law was drafted and published in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil and the mandatory language for all federal legislation.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3318 of November 18, 1957 represents a significant legislative artifact from Brazil's developmentalist era under President Juscelino Kubitschek, a period characterized by aggressive industrialization and infrastructure development. The law's provision for special budgetary adjustments ("credito especial") reflects the fiscal flexibility required during rapid economic expansion, allowing the federal government to reallocate resources beyond ordinary budgetary constraints. Its simultaneous address of Regional Labor Courts structure demonstrates the interconnected nature of administrative and judicial reform during this transformative period, as Brazil modernized its labor adjudication system to handle emerging industrial relations conflicts. As a publicly accessible document exempt from copyright restrictions, the law exemplifies the principle that citizens must have unrestricted access to the legal rules governing them, reinforcing democratic transparency. The statute's inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its relevance for digital preservation of Brazil's legislative heritage. Its publication in Rio de Janeiro marks a historical moment just before the capital's relocation to Brasília, making it a document from the twilight of Rio's administrative era. For researchers studying Brazilian administrative law, labor law, or the Kubitschek presidency, this law provides concrete evidence of how statutory law manifested through formal written instruments that created binding rules for both budgetary management and judicial organization.

## Notable For
- **Presidential Legacy:** One of the legislative acts from Juscelino Kubitschek's presidency (1956-1961), a period known for "50 years of progress in 5"
- **Dual-Purpose Legislation:** Uniquely combines budgetary provisions (special credit) with judicial structural reforms (Regional Labor Courts) in a single statutory instrument
- **Pre-Brasília Capital Document:** Published in Rio de Janeiro during the final years before the capital's official move to Brasília in April 1960
- **LexML Indexed:** Bears a unique LexML Brazil identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-11-18;3318) in Brazil's official legal markup language system
- **Wikimedia Project Recognition:** Specifically flagged for attention within WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its importance for encyclopedic documentation
- **Public Domain Accessibility:** Falls under the edict of government doctrine, ensuring free public access without copyright restrictions in multiple jurisdictions
- **Multi-Subject Statute:** Addresses both financial (budgetary adjustment) and organizational (judiciary) matters, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of Brazilian federal legislation
- **Schema.org Equivalent:** Serves as a real-world instance of the Legislation class in schema.org's structured data vocabulary

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature

Law No. 3318 of November 18, 1957 constitutes a **statute** in the formal sense—a written document that creates law and serves as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. As a subclass of written work, document, and rule, this statute functions as the official record of legal rules enacted by Brazil's federal government. The document follows the standard legislative process, being preceded by draft laws and caused by the act of legislation under Brazil's presidential system. Structurally, it contains legal norms and forms part of the broader concepts of law and legal act within Brazil's civil law tradition. The statute results in statutory law that binds all jurisdictions within Brazil's federal system.

The law enjoys public domain status under the edict of government doctrine, which establishes that official legal documents—including legislative enactments—are not copyrightable in jurisdictions like the United States and France. This ensures unrestricted public access to the legal framework governing Brazilian citizens. The statute is cataloged under Dewey Decimal classifications 342.057 and 348.02, and holds authoritative identifiers including Library of Congress Authority ID sh85127611 and GND ID 4020660-9, facilitating global library retrieval.

### Historical and Political Context

Brazil in 1957 operated as a federal republic under its 1946 Constitution, with President Juscelino Kubitschek pursuing an ambitious developmentalist agenda. The law emerged during a period of rapid industrialization and infrastructure expansion, exemplified by the construction of Brasília, which would become the new capital in 1960. Published in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 1957, the document represents federal legislation from the penultimate year of Rio's status as capital, making it historically significant for researchers examining Brazil's administrative transition.

The promulgation method reflects Brazil's presidential system, where the head of state exercises both executive authority and legislative initiative. President Kubitschek's signature on this law demonstrates the executive branch's direct role in shaping both fiscal policy and judicial structure. The 1957 date places the law within a critical period of Brazil's economic planning, when special budgetary mechanisms were essential for funding large-scale development projects.

### Content and Substantive Scope

The statute addresses three interconnected subjects that reflect Brazil's governance priorities in the late 1950s:

**Special Budgetary Adjustment ("Credito Especial"):** This provision allows for extraordinary budgetary allocations beyond the ordinary annual budget, a mechanism crucial for financing unforeseen development needs or urgent government initiatives. Such special credits represent exceptional fiscal tools within Brazil's public financial management system.

**Regional Labor Courts ("Tribunal Regional Do Trabalho (Trt)"):** The law modifies the structure or jurisdiction of these specialized courts, which adjudicate labor disputes across Brazil's federal states. Regional Labor Courts constitute a critical component of Brazil's specialized judiciary, handling collective bargaining disputes, union registrations, and individual labor claims.

**Judiciary ("Judiciario"):** The broader judicial provisions likely address administrative or procedural matters affecting the court system, potentially including judge appointments, jurisdictional boundaries, or internal regulations for judicial operations.

### Publication and Accessibility Details

The law's publication in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 1957, followed standard Brazilian legislative procedure, with the official text appearing in the government's official gazette. The document was drafted in Brazilian Portuguese, the sole official language for federal legislation. Researchers can access the full text through multiple channels:

- **Official Government Portal:** The Planalto website hosts the complete text at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3318.htm
- **LexML Brazil System:** The law carries the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-11-18;3318 in Brazil's Legal Markup Language framework
- **Wikidata Entry:** The law is cataloged as a Brazilian law entity with structured metadata
- **Wikimedia Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws has identified this statute as significant for documentation and preservation

### Jurisdictional Application and Legal Effect

As a federal statute, Law No. 3318 applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil, encompassing all 26 states and the Federal District. The law creates statutory law that binds all entities within Brazil's jurisdiction, including federal agencies, state governments, municipal authorities, and private parties subject to labor court jurisdiction. The statute's provisions on Regional Labor Courts directly affect the judiciary branch, while its budgetary provisions impact the executive branch's financial management.

The law functions as a manifestation of statutory law, meaning it transforms abstract legal principles into concrete, enforceable rules. Its creation through legislation distinguishes it from other legal sources like judicial precedents or administrative regulations. The statute's legal norms become part of Brazil's comprehensive legal framework, interpretable by the Supreme Federal Court and applicable throughout the national territory.

### Technical and Archival Significance

From an information science perspective, Law No. 3318 exemplifies the statute entity type that serves as the real-world equivalent of schema.org's Legislation class. This enables structured data representation on the web, facilitating machine-readable access to legislative information. The law's assignment of Dewey Decimal classifications (342.057, 348.02) places it within legal studies collections in libraries worldwide.

The statute's presence in global authority control systems—including the Library of Congress, German National Library (GND), and Bibliothèque nationale de France—demonstrates its indexing within international legal bibliography. These classifications enable cross-jurisdictional legal research and comparative law studies. The law's public domain status ensures that digitization and republication efforts face no copyright barriers, supporting open access initiatives.

### Connection to Brazil's Legal Ecosystem

Law No. 3318 operates within Brazil's civil law tradition, where statutes constitute the primary source of law. The law interacts with Brazil's 1946 Constitution (in force at the time) and subsequent constitutional amendments. Its provisions on Regional Labor Courts connect to Brazil's specialized court system, which includes separate federal and state-level labor tribunals handling the country's complex labor relations framework.

The statute's budgetary provisions align with Brazil's public finance laws and the role of the National Congress in fiscal oversight. As a federal law from the 1950s, it may have been amended, superseded, or incorporated into later legislative consolidations, though its original text remains accessible for historical and legal research. The law's focus on labor courts reflects the growing importance of formal labor relations during Brazil's industrialization period.

### Research and Reference Value

For scholars, Law No. 3318 provides primary source material for studying:
- Brazilian legislative drafting in the 1950s
- The Kubitschek administration's approach to judicial and fiscal governance
- Evolution of Regional Labor Courts' structure and jurisdiction
- Historical budgetary mechanisms for development financing
- Portuguese legal terminology and statutory construction

The law's availability through the LexML system ensures persistent, citable access using a standardized URN format. Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws signals community-recognized importance for Wikipedia's coverage of Brazilian legislation. The statute's metadata, including its main subjects and publication details, enables precise retrieval in legal databases and research platforms.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-11-18;3318)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3318&ano=1957&data=18/11/1957&ato=8c3ITSE1kMNRVT3b8)