# Law No. 3698 of December 18, 1959

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648820](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648820)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3698-of-december-18-1959

## Summary
Law No. 3698 of December 18, 1959 (Lei nº 3698, de 18 de dezembro de 1959) is a Brazilian federal statute that grants a monthly pension to Alba Çõelho Sales, the widow of former minister Eurico de Aguiar Sales. It was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil during the government of President Juscelino Kubitschek.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3698, de 18 de dezembro de 1959
- **Alias:** Lei nº 3698/1959
- **Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal law)
- **Publication Date:** December 18, 1959
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-18;3698
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Promulgation:** Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Legal Digest:** "CONCEDE PENSÃO MENSAL A ALBA ÇÕELHO SALES, VIUVA DO EX-MINISTRO EURICO DE AGUIAR SALES." (Grants a monthly pension to Alba Çõelho Sales, widow of former minister Eurico de Aguiar Sales.)
- **Main Subjects:** "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension) and "Concessão" (Grant)
- **Instance Of:** Statute
- **Access URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3698.htm
- **Wikimedia Focus:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What specific benefit does Law No. 3698/1959 provide?**
This law grants a monthly pension to a specific individual, Alba Çõelho Sales, as the widow of former minister Eurico de Aguiar Sales. It is a private law providing a special pension concession.

**Who was the head of state when this law was enacted?**
The law was promulgated on December 18, 1959, during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, who served as President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961.

**How is this Brazilian law officially cited and accessed?**
It is officially cited as "Lei nº 3698/1959" and is accessible through the official Brazilian government legislative portal (Planalto) at the provided URL. Its unique identifier in the Brazilian LexML system is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-18;3698`.

**What is the general legal classification of this document?**
This document is classified as a "statute," meaning it is a formal written document enacted by the government to create law. It is a specific instance of statutory law within the Brazilian federal legal system.

**Where was this federal law officially published?**
The law was officially published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at the time of its enactment in 1959 (the capital later moved to Brasília in 1960).

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3698/1959 matters as a concrete example of Brazil's legislative process for private bills, which grant specific benefits or rights to named individuals. It illustrates how statutory law can address individual circumstances, such as providing a pension to the widow of a former government minister. This type of law reflects historical practices of legislative recognition and support for public servants and their families. Its existence and documentation in official repositories like LexML and the Planoalto website are crucial for legal transparency, historical research, and the verification of individual rights claims. It serves as a primary source document for understanding mid-20th century Brazilian social policy and legislative procedures.

## Notable For
- **Specific Beneficiary:** It is notable for granting a pension to a specifically named individual, Alba Çõelho Sales, rather than establishing a general public policy.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a period known for significant developmentalist policies and the construction of Brasília.
- **Private Law Example:** Represents a category of Brazilian legislation (private laws) that addresses particular cases, distinct from general public laws.
- **Documentation:** Its inclusion in the official LexML Brazil system and the Planoalto archive ensures long-term digital preservation and public access to this specific historical legal act.
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Its listing on WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its recognition as a document of interest for systematic documentation of the country's legal corpus.

## Body

### Legal Characteristics and Classification
Law No. 3698 of December 18, 1959, is formally classified as an **instance of a statute**. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law. This places it within the foundational category of statutory law in Brazil's legal system. The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil** and was created under the **language of Brazilian Portuguese**. Its official **legal citation** is "Lei nº 3698/1959". The law is part of the broader concept of statutory law and was caused by the legislative act of the National Congress, culminating in presidential promulgation.

### Legislative Process and Enactment
The law was **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The key qualifier indicates the **determination method was "promulgation"** and the **point in time was December 18, 1959**. The **President at the time of promulgation was Juscelino Kubitschek**. The **place of its official publication was Rio de Janeiro**, which was the national capital until the transfer to Brasília in 1960. This situates the law within the administrative and legal framework of Brazil during the final years of Rio's tenure as the capital city.

### Substance and Beneficiary
The core substance of the law is captured in its **law digest**: "CONCEDE PENSÃO MENSAL A ALBA ÇÕELHO SALES, VIUVA DO EX-MINISTRO EURICO DE AGUIAR SALES." This translates to "GRANTS A MONTHLY PENSION TO ALBA ÇÕELHO SALES, WIDOW OF FORMER MINISTER EURICO DE AGUIAR SALES." The **main subjects** of the law are explicitly listed as **"Pensão Especial" (Special Pension)** and **"Concessão" (Grant)**. This identifies the law as a private statute providing a specific financial benefit to a named individual based on her relationship to a former high-ranking government official.

### Access, Documentation, and Authority
The law has a persistent digital identifier in the **LexML Brazil system**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-18;3698`. This identifier is used for unambiguous citation and retrieval within Brazil's structured legal data ecosystem. The full text is **work available at the URL** `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3698.htm`, which is the official repository for Brazilian federal legislation on the Planoalto website. Its inclusion on the **on_focus_list_of_wikimedia_project: WikiProject Brazilian Laws** indicates its recognition as a document worthy of systematic documentation and improvement within the Wikimedia ecosystem, specifically for the project organizing articles on Brazilian laws.

### Context within Brazilian Legal Framework
As a **statute**, this law is a manifestation of statutory law. It follows the general legislative process where **draft laws** are proposed and, through the act of **legislation**, become enacted law. While this specific law is a private act, it shares the same formal status and publication requirements as general public laws. Its **country of origin is Brazil**, and it exists within the nation's historical legal continuum from its period as a colony through empire and republic. The law's existence in 1959 places it under the constitutional order of that era, preceding the current Constitution of Brazil (effective 1988).

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-18;3698)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3698&ano=1959&data=18/12/1959&ato=519Qza65UMRRVTaac)
3. LexML Brasil