# Law No. 3336 of December 10, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649187](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649187)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3336-of-december-10-1957

## Summary
Law No. 3336 of December 10, 1957 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek that establishes legal frameworks for time limits, prorogation, validity, and contracts. This legislative act was officially promulgated in Rio de Janeiro and remains accessible through the Brazilian government's official legal information system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title**: Lei nº 3336, de 10 de dezembro de 1957
- **Legal Citation**: Lei nº 3336/1957
- **Date of Enactment**: December 10, 1957
- **Promulgating Authority**: Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Time of Enactment**: Juscelino Kubitschek (served 1956-1961)
- **Legal Classification**: Instance of a "statute" (formal written document that creates law)
- **Jurisdiction**: Applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Place of Publication**: Rio de Janeiro
- **Language**: Brazilian Portuguese
- **Main Subjects Covered**: Time limit (Prazo), prorogation (Prorrogação), validity (Vigencia), and contract (Contrato)
- **LexML Brazil Identifier**: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-10;3336
- **Official URL**: Available at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3336.htm
- **Wikimedia Project**: Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws focus list
- **Wikidata Description**: Brazilian law

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 3336 of December 10, 1957?**
Law No. 3336 is a federal statute enacted in Brazil on December 10, 1957, that creates legal rules governing time limits, prorogation procedures, validity periods, and contractual obligations. It represents a formal written legislative act promulgated under the authority of President Juscelino Kubitschek.

**Who approved this law and what was the method of enactment?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil through the determination method of promulgation, with Juscelino Kubitschek serving as the head of state at the specific point in time of December 10, 1957.

**What specific legal concepts does this statute address?**
The statute addresses four main legal concepts as explicitly stated in its text: time limits (Prazo), prorogation or extension procedures (Prorrogação), validity periods (Vigencia), and contractual matters (Contrato).

**Where and how was this law published?**
Law No. 3336 was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as Brazil's capital at the time, and is documented as a federal law applying to the entire Brazilian jurisdiction. The publication date matches the enactment date of December 10, 1957.

**How can legal researchers and citizens access the full text of this law?**
The complete text is publicly available through the official Brazilian government portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3336.htm, maintained by the Presidency's legislative documentation system. Additionally, it is indexed in the LexML Brazil system with the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-10;3336.

**What is the significance of this law being part of WikiProject Brazilian Laws?**
Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates that this statute is recognized as an important legislative document within Wikimedia's collaborative effort to document and improve coverage of Brazilian legal instruments, ensuring accurate and accessible information about the country's legislative history.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3336 of December 10, 1957 matters because it establishes foundational legal frameworks that govern essential aspects of civil and administrative procedure in Brazil. The statute's provisions on time limits directly affect how citizens, businesses, and government entities calculate deadlines for legal actions, contractual performance, and administrative compliance. Its sections on prorogation provide the legal mechanism for extending these timeframes when circumstances require, offering flexibility within the legal system. The validity provisions ensure clarity on when legal acts and contracts take effect and cease to be operative, reducing uncertainty in commercial and civil transactions. By addressing contracts specifically, the law contributes to the stability of Brazil's commercial environment during a period of rapid economic development under the Kubitschek administration, which was characterized by ambitious infrastructure projects and industrialization efforts. The statute's enactment in Rio de Janeiro reflects the historical context of Brazil's capital before the inauguration of Brasília in 1960. Its availability through modern digital portals ensures contemporary access to mid-20th century legislation, supporting legal research, historical analysis, and the principle that citizens should have unrestricted access to the laws governing them. The law's inclusion in structured data projects like WikiProject Brazilian Laws demonstrates its ongoing relevance as a documented piece of Brazil's legislative heritage.

## Notable For
- **Presidential Era Enactment**: Promulgated during the Juscelino Kubitschek presidency, a period known for the "Plano de Metas" (Target Plan) and rapid industrialization that transformed Brazil's economy.
- **Multi-Subject Statute**: Uniquely combines four distinct but related legal concepts—time limits, prorogation, validity, and contracts—into a single legislative instrument rather than addressing them separately.
- **LexML Brazil Cataloging**: Bears the structured identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-10;3336, placing it within Brazil's official legal metadata system that enables precise identification and retrieval.
- **Digital Preservation**: Maintained on the Planalto.gov.br portal within the 1950-1969 legislative archive, ensuring long-term public access to historical federal laws.
- **Wikimedia Documentation**: Specifically tracked by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, distinguishing it as a law deemed significant enough for dedicated curation within the Wikimedia ecosystem.
- **Geographic Publication Context**: Published in Rio de Janeiro, representing one of the final major federal laws enacted before the capital's transfer to Brasília in 1960.
- **Legal Classification Precision**: Explicitly classified as a "statute" in structured data, distinguishing it from other legal instruments like executive orders or by-laws despite being enacted by presidential promulgation.

## Body

### Basic Identification and Classification
Law No. 3336 of December 10, 1957 is formally titled "Lei nº 3336, de 10 de dezembro de 1957" and carries the legal citation "Lei nº 3336/1957." The statute is classified as an instance of a "statute," which is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws. This classification places the law within the broader category of statutory law, distinguishing it as a concrete manifestation of legislative authority rather than a regulatory or judicial instrument. The law is described in Wikidata systems simply as "Brazilian law," reflecting its national jurisdiction and legislative origin. It is composed in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and applies to the entire national jurisdiction without geographical limitations within the country.

### Enactment and Presidential Authority
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil through the formal determination method of promulgation on the specific date of December 10, 1957. At this point in time, Juscelino Kubitschek served as President of Brazil, having assumed office on January 31, 1956, and would continue serving until January 31, 1961. The enactment occurred in Rio de Janeiro, which functioned as Brazil's federal capital from 1763 until 1960, when the capital was officially transferred to the newly constructed city of Brasília. This temporal and geographic context places the law within the final years of Rio de Janeiro's status as the seat of federal power. The promulgation process followed standard legislative procedures of the period, where the executive branch gave final approval to legislation, making it binding law throughout the nation.

### Subject Matter and Legal Scope
The statute addresses four principal legal subjects as explicitly identified in its structured metadata. First, it covers "time limit" (Prazo), establishing rules for how legal and contractual deadlines are calculated and applied. Second, it addresses "prorogation" (Prorrogação), providing mechanisms for extending or renewing time limits under specified conditions. Third, it deals with "validity" (Vigencia), defining the periods during which legal acts, contracts, or provisions remain effective and enforceable. Fourth, it encompasses "contract" (Contrato), setting forth principles governing contractual relationships and obligations. These subjects collectively form a cohesive framework for temporal aspects of legal and commercial relations, ensuring predictability and uniformity in how time-based legal concepts are interpreted and applied across Brazil's federal system.

### Publication and Accessibility
The law was published on December 10, 1957, in Rio de Janeiro, coinciding with its enactment date. In contemporary practice, the full text remains publicly accessible through multiple official channels. The primary source is the Presidency of the Republic's legislative portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3336.htm, where it is archived within the 1950-1969 collection of federal laws. This digital preservation ensures that citizens, legal professionals, researchers, and government officials can retrieve the original legislative text without restriction. The law's availability aligns with Brazil's commitment to open government principles, ensuring that statutes enacted during the mid-20th century remain accessible in the digital age.

### Legal and Bibliographic Identifiers
Law No. 3336 carries several structured identifiers that facilitate precise cataloging and retrieval. The LexML Brazil system assigns it the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-10;3336, following the URN:LEX standard for legal documents. This identifier encodes the document type (lei), jurisdiction (federal), date (1957-12-10), and number (3336). The law is included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, a Wikimedia initiative focused on improving documentation of Brazil's legislative framework. Its Wikidata entry describes it as "Brazilian law," connecting it to broader knowledge graphs. These identifiers enable integration with legal information systems, library catalogs, and research databases, supporting both domestic and international legal research.

### Historical and Political Context
The statute's enactment in 1957 occurred during a transformative period in Brazilian history. President Juscelino Kubitschek's administration (1956-1961) was characterized by aggressive economic development, infrastructure modernization, and the construction of Brasília. The law's focus on time limits, validity, and contracts provided essential legal infrastructure for the industrialization and commercial expansion that defined the "Plano de Metas." While the source material does not detail specific economic impacts, the timing suggests the law supported the regulatory framework needed for increased government contracting, private sector growth, and administrative efficiency. The publication in Rio de Janeiro marks the law as a product of the pre-Brasília federal administration, representing the legislative output of a government preparing to inaugurate a new capital and a new developmental model for Brazil.

### Jurisdictional and Linguistic Parameters
As a federal law, Law No. 3336 applies to the entire territory of the Federative Republic of Brazil, encompassing all 26 states and the Federal District. The law's language is Brazilian Portuguese, which differs from European Portuguese in vocabulary, pronunciation, and certain grammatical constructions. This linguistic specificity ensures that legal terms like "Prazo," "Prorrogação," "Vigencia," and "Contrato" carry the precise meanings established within Brazilian legal tradition. The law's jurisdiction extends to all levels of the federal system, though its interaction with state and municipal legislation would be governed by constitutional principles of hierarchy and competence that were in effect during the 1957 constitutional framework.

### Relationship to Statutory Law Framework
The law exemplifies the "statute" class of legal instruments, which are formal written documents that create law through legislative action. As a statute, it functions as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms as its constituent parts. Its creation was preceded by draft laws and caused by the legislative process culminating in presidential promulgation. The statute is part of Brazil's statutory law system, which forms one of the primary sources of law alongside constitutional provisions, regulatory decrees, and judicial precedents. The law's status as a public domain document ensures that it can be freely reproduced, distributed, and cited without copyright restrictions, consistent with the principle that laws must be freely accessible to those they govern.

### Preservation and Research Value
The law's inclusion in the Planalto.gov.br archive and its LexML Brazil identifier ensure its long-term preservation as part of Brazil's legislative heritage. Researchers studying mid-20th century Brazilian law, the Kubitschek administration's regulatory approach, or the evolution of civil and commercial law in Brazil can access this primary source material. The statute's structured metadata, including its main subjects, date, approving authority, and jurisdictional scope, enables systematic analysis of legislative trends and legal development during Brazil's post-war industrialization period. Its documentation within Wikimedia projects further supports public education and collaborative knowledge building around Brazil's legal history.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-10;3336)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3336&ano=1957&data=10/12/1957&ato=ec4oXWE1kMNRVT88c)