# Law No. 3631 of September 10, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648560](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648560)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3631-of-september-10-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3631 of September 10, 1959 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted by President Juscelino Kubitschek that regulates the "good use" (Aproveitamento) of assets by the Ministry of the Navy of Brazil (Ministerio Da Marinha). It is a specific legislative act within Brazil's legal system, published in Rio de Janeiro and accessible through official government portals.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3631, de 10 de setembro de 1959
- **Alias:** Lei nº 3631/1959
- **Publication Date:** September 10, 1959
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President Juscelino Kubitschek (promulgation)
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Primary Subject:** "Good use" (Aproveitamento) and the Ministry of the Navy of Brazil (Ministerio Da Marinha)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3631/1959
- **Official Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-10;3631`
- **Access URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3631.htm
- **Wikimedia Focus:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the official name and number of this law?**
The law's official designation is "Lei nº 3631, de 10 de setembro de 1959," commonly cited as "Lei nº 3631/1959." This is its formal title as recorded in Brazilian legal databases.

**When was it enacted and by whom?**
It was promulgated and published on September 10, 1959, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically under the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek.

**What is the primary subject matter of the law?**
The law's main subjects, as documented in knowledge bases, are "good use" (Aproveitamento) and the "Ministry of the Navy of Brazil" (Ministerio Da Marinha). It concerns the management or utilization of assets by that specific ministry.

**Which government ministry is directly involved?**
The law explicitly involves the Ministry of the Navy of Brazil (Ministerio Da Marinha), indicating it regulates matters within that ministry's purview, likely concerning the disposition or use of its property or resources.

**Where can the full, authoritative text be found?**
The complete text is officially available at the Brazilian federal government's legislative portal: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3631.htm. It is also indexed with the persistent identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-10;3631` in the LexML Brazil system.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3631 is a specific instrument of Brazilian statutory law from a pivotal era in the country's development under President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961). Its focus on the "good use" of assets by the Ministry of the Navy places it within the framework of military and administrative law, governing how a key defense institution manages its material resources. Such laws are fundamental to the operational readiness, logistical efficiency, and fiscal responsibility of national armed forces. As a formally enacted federal statute, it represents the exercise of legislative authority to create binding rules for a specific executive body, demonstrating the separation and function of powers within Brazil's federal republic. Its existence and precise documentation in official repositories like the *Planalto* website and LexML ensure legal certainty and historical record for any matters pertaining to naval asset administration from that period.

## Notable For
*   **Historical Specificity:** It is a discrete legal act from a significant presidential administration (Juscelino Kubitschek) in mid-20th century Brazil, a period marked by national development projects.
*   **Institutional Focus:** It is notable for its targeted application to a single ministry—the Ministry of the Navy—making it a specialized piece of administrative or military law rather than a general statute.
*   **Terminological Precision:** Its main subject is recorded with the specific Portuguese term "Aproveitamento" (good use/proper utilization), indicating a precise legal concept regarding asset management.
*   **Documented Legacy:** It is formally recognized and cataloged by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, ensuring its inclusion in structured efforts to document Brazil's legislative corpus.
*   **Official Accessibility:** It has a stable, government-hosted URL and a LexML persistent identifier, guaranteeing long-term public access to its text as a public legal document.

## Body

### Identification and Metadata
Law No. 3631 of September 10, 1959 is formally identified by its Portuguese title "Lei nº 3631, de 10 de setembro de 1959" and its standard legal citation "Lei nº 3631/1959". It is an instance of the class "statute," meaning it is a formal written document that creates law. Its unique identifier within the Brazilian LexML system is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-10;3631`. The law's description in knowledge bases is simply "Brazilian law," and it is listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its relevance to that documentation effort.

### Legislative Process and Authority
The law was approved and promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The structured data specifies this action occurred under President **Juscelino Kubitschek**, with the point in time recorded as **1959-09-10** and the determination method as "promulgation." The place of its official publication was **Rio de Janeiro**, which was the capital of Brazil at that time (the capital moved to Brasília in 1960).

### Substantive Focus and Subject Matter
The law's primary substantive focus is on two interconnected subjects, as recorded in its main subject properties:
1.  **"Good use" (Aproveitamento):** This indicates the law's purpose is to regulate the proper, efficient, or beneficial utilization of something, most likely assets or property.
2.  **Ministry of the Navy of Brazil (Ministerio Da Marinha):** This specifies the government body to which the regulation of "good use" applies. Therefore, the law's core function is to establish rules, procedures, or definitions for how the Ministry of the Navy should manage, employ, or derive benefit from its assets, which could range from ships and equipment to real estate or other resources.

### Jurisdictional and Linguistic Scope
The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil**. It was written and enacted in **Brazilian Portuguese**, which is the official language of the country and the language of all federal legislation. This linguistic and jurisdictional specificity confines its direct legal effect to the territory and legal system of Brazil.

### Access, Citation, and Preservation
The full, authoritative text of the law is digitally available at the official Brazilian federal government legislation portal: `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3631.htm`. Its standard legal citation for reference is **Lei nº 3631/1959**. The assignment of a LexML Brazil persistent identifier (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-10;3631`) ensures it can be reliably located and cited in digital and bibliographic contexts, fulfilling a key function of a modern statute.

### Context within Brazilian Legal Framework
As a federal statute from 1959, Law 3631 exists within the hierarchy of Brazilian law, beneath the Constitution and alongside other federal laws, decrees, and regulations. Its specific targeting of the Ministry of the Navy suggests it is part of the detailed regulatory framework that governs the administration of Brazil's military branches. The year 1959 falls within the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a period known for its ambitious national development plan ("50 Years in 5"), placing this administrative law within the context of a government focused on modernization and state capacity building.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-09-10;3631)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3631&ano=1959&data=10/09/1959&ato=d22ATWq5UMRRVTf9f)