# Law No. 3351 of December 18, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649237](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649237)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3351-of-december-18-1957

## Summary
Law No. 3351 of December 18, 1957 is a Brazilian federal statute that amends Law 2.429 of February 16, 1955, which established the number of general officers in the Brazilian Army. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek and published in Rio de Janeiro, the law addresses modifications to military personnel structure. It is classified as a formal statute within the Brazilian legal system.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 3351, de 18 de dezembro de 1957
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3351/1957
- **Publication Date:** December 18, 1957
- **Instance Of:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating Authority:** Juscelino Kubitschek (President)
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Law Digest:** Alters Law 2.429 of February 16, 1955, which fixes the number of general officers in the Army ("ALTERA A LEI 2.429, DE 16 DE FEVEREIRO DE 1955, QUE FIXA O NUMERO DE OFICIAIS GENERAIS DO EXERCITO")
- **Main Subjects:** Army ("Exercito"), Decision ("Fixação"), Increase ("Aumento"), Change ("Alteração")
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-18;3351
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3351.htm
- **WikiProject Membership:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What is the purpose of Law No. 3351 of December 18, 1957?**
This law amends Law 2.429 of February 16, 1955, which established the number of general officers in the Brazilian Army. The law's stated subjects include the army, decision-making regarding personnel numbers, increases to those numbers, and changes to the existing legal framework.

**Who approved and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with Juscelino Kubitschek serving as the promulgating authority on December 18, 1957.

**Where was this law published and in what language?**
The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the federal capital of Brazil at the time, and is written in Brazilian Portuguese.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available at the Planalto Palace website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3351.htm) and is indexed under the LexML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-18;3351.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3351 of December 18, 1957 represents a specific legislative action during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, one of Brazil's most significant 20th-century leaders known for his modernization policies and the construction of Brasília. As a statute modifying military personnel structure, it reflects the governmental authority to adjust the composition of the Brazilian Armed Forces through formal legislative processes. The law is an example of how Brazilian federal statutes function as formal written documents that create or modify law, in this case altering an existing legal framework (Law 2.429 of 1955) governing the number of general officers in the Army. Its publication in Rio de Janeiro also places it in a specific historical context, as Rio served as Brazil's capital until 1960 when Brasília was inaugurated.

## Notable For
- **Military Personnel Legislation:** Directly addresses the structure of general officers in the Brazilian Army, a matter of national defense and military organization
- **Kubitschek Era:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956–1961), a period marked by ambitious development programs
- **Pre-Brasília Publication:** Published in Rio de Janeiro before the capital was transferred to Brasília on April 22, 1960
- **Amending Legislation:** Functions specifically as an amendment to an earlier law (Law 2.429 of February 16, 1955), demonstrating the iterative nature of Brazilian statutory law
- **LexML Indexing:** Identified within Brazil's official legal information system with a standardized URN (Uniform Resource Name)
- **WikiProject Coverage:** Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating recognition as a notable legal document worthy of systematic documentation

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Classification

Law No. 3351 of December 18, 1957 (Lei nº 3351, de 18 de dezembro de 1957) is a Brazilian federal statute formally classified as an instance of a "statute"—a formal written document that creates law. The law operates within the jurisdiction of the Federative Republic of Brazil and is cited legally as Lei nº 3351/1957. It is written in Brazilian Portuguese and has been assigned the LexML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-18;3351, which provides a standardized reference within Brazil's legal documentation system.

### Substantive Content and Purpose

The law's digest describes its function as amending Law 2.429 of February 16, 1955, which originally fixed the number of general officers in the Brazilian Army. The stated main subjects of Law No. 3351 include:
- **Army ("Exercito"):** The institutional focus of the legislation
- **Decision ("Fixação"):** Relating to the establishment or determination of personnel numbers
- **Increase ("Aumento"):** Indicating the law provides for an expansion of the established figures
- **Change ("Alteração"):** Reflecting the amending nature of the legislation

This framework indicates that Law No. 3351 modified the existing statutory limits on the number of general officers authorized within the Brazilian Army's command structure.

### Promulgation and Authority

The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with the determination method specified as promulgation. Juscelino Kubitschek, who served as President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961, was the promulgating authority. The publication occurred on December 18, 1957, establishing the law's official enactment date.

### Publication Context and Historical Setting

Law No. 3351 was published in Rio de Janeiro, which at the time served as the federal capital of Brazil. This is historically significant as Rio de Janeiro remained the capital until April 22, 1960, when the newly constructed city of Brasília was inaugurated as the new federal capital during Kubitschek's presidency. The law therefore originates from the final years of Rio de Janeiro's status as the seat of Brazilian federal government.

### Access and Documentation

The official text of Law No. 3351 is accessible through the Planalto Palace website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3351.htm. The law is indexed under the LexML Brazil system, which provides standardized legal resource identification for Brazilian legislation. Additionally, the law has been included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its recognition within collaborative knowledge organization efforts focused on Brazilian legal documentation.

### Jurisdictional Scope

Law No. 3351 applies to the entire territory of Brazil as a federal statute. The law's authority derives from the Federative Republic of Brazil and operates within the country's legal framework. As a federal law, it superseded any conflicting state or local provisions regarding the matters it addresses.

### Relationship to Statutory Law

As an instance of a statute, Law No. 3351 exemplifies the concept of a formal written document that creates or modifies law. Statutes in the Brazilian legal system serve as manifestations of statutory law and contain legal norms. This law specifically functions as an amendment to existing legislation, demonstrating how statutes can modify prior legal enactments to reflect changing governmental requirements—in this case, adjustments to military personnel structure.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-18;3351)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3351&ano=1957&data=18/12/1957&ato=313AzaE1kMNRVT27a)
3. LexML Brasil