# Law No. 3715 of December 24, 1959 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105648896](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648896) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3715-of-december-24-1959 ## Summary **Law No. 3715 of December 24, 1959** (Portuguese: Lei nº 3715, de 24 de dezembro de 1959) is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes a special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial) for the judiciary branch specifically concerning the Federal District. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek and published in Rio de Janeiro, it functions as a formal legal instrument within Brazil's statutory framework and applies to Brazilian jurisdiction. ## Key Facts - **Official Title:** Lei nº 3715, de 24 de dezembro de 1959 - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3715/1959 - **Classification:** Instance of a statute (formal written document that creates law) - **Publication Date:** December 24, 1959 - **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Promulgating President:** Juscelino Kubitschek - **Country of Origin:** Brazil - **Jurisdiction:** Applies to Brazil - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Main Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial), Judiciary (Judiciário), Federal District (Distrito Federal - DF) - **Lexml Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3715 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3715.htm - **Wikimedia Project Affiliation:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What is the purpose of Law No. 3715/1959?** This law authorizes a special budgetary adjustment (known in Portuguese as "Crédito Especial") designated for the judiciary branch, with specific application to the Federal District of Brazil. **Who approved and promulgated this law?** The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 24, 1959. **Where can the full text of this law be accessed?** The official text is available through the Brazilian government's Planalto Palace website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3715.htm and is indexed under the Lexml Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3715. **What type of legal instrument is this?** It is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. Statutes in Brazil serve as manifestations of statutory law and are part of the broader system of legal acts enacted by government authority. **Why was this law published in Rio de Janeiro?** At the time of promulgation in December 1959, Rio de Janeiro served as the capital of Brazil. The federal capital was not transferred to Brasília until April 22, 1960, making Rio de Janeiro the official place of publication for this law. ## Why It Matters Law No. 3715/1959 represents a specific mechanism of Brazilian public administration—the special budgetary credit—applied to the judicial branch. This type of legislation demonstrates how Brazil's federal government manages extraordinary budgetary allocations outside the normal annual budget cycle. By targeting the judiciary in the Federal District, the law addressed specific financial needs of the judicial system in the nation's soon-to-be capital region during a pivotal moment in Brazilian history—the final months before the inauguration of Brasília. The law also exemplifies the statutory process in Brazil during the democratic period preceding the 1964 military coup. Under President Juscelino Kubitschek's administration (1956-1961), Brazil underwent rapid modernization and infrastructure development, including the construction of the new capital. Budgetary adjustments like this one were essential tools for managing the financial demands of this transformative era. From a legal documentation perspective, this law is part of Brazil's comprehensive statutory framework and is indexed in the Lexml Brazil system, which provides standardized legal identifiers for Brazilian legislation. Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates ongoing efforts to document and preserve Brazilian legal history in structured, accessible formats. ## Notable For - **Pre-Brasília Publication:** One of the final Brazilian federal laws published in Rio de Janeiro before the capital transfer to Brasília on April 22, 1960 - **Kubitschek Era Legislation:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, known for his "50 years in 5" modernization platform and the construction of Brasília - **Special Budgetary Mechanism:** Exemplifies the use of "Crédito Especial" (special credit) as a budgetary tool for extraordinary governmental expenses - **Judiciary-Specific Funding:** Directly targets the judicial branch rather than executive or legislative functions - **Federal District Focus:** Specifically addresses the Federal District (Distrito Federal), which at the time referred to Rio de Janeiro before the creation of the new Federal District centered on Brasília - **Lexml Integration:** Fully indexed in Brazil's official legal documentation system with standardized URN identifier - **Structured Legal Data:** Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its incorporation into semantic web and knowledge graph initiatives ## Body ### Legislative Classification and Structure Law No. 3715 of December 24, 1959, is classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law within the Brazilian legal system. As a statute, it belongs to the broader category of legal acts that manifest statutory law and contain legal norms. Statutes in the Brazilian context follow draft laws in the legislative process and are caused by the formal act of legislation. The law carries the formal title "Lei nº 3715, de 24 de dezembro de 1959" and is cited legally as "Lei nº 3715/1959." It was published in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, and applies to Brazilian jurisdiction nationwide, though its substantive provisions specifically concern the Federal District. ### Promulgation and Executive Authority The law was promulgated through the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** on December 24, 1959. The promulgating authority was **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as President of Brazil from January 31, 1956, to January 31, 1961. Kubitschek's presidency was characterized by ambitious development programs, most notably the construction of Brasília as the new federal capital and the "Plano de Metas" (Targets Plan) for economic development. The promulgation method is documented as formal promulgation, indicating that the law completed all required legislative procedures and received executive approval before publication. This placed the law among the final statutes enacted under Kubitschek's administration before the transfer of the federal capital. ### Subject Matter and Scope The law addresses three main subjects as documented in its structured metadata: 1. **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Crédito Especial):** This refers to an extraordinary budgetary allocation mechanism used by the Brazilian government to address financial needs not covered by the annual budget. Special credits allow for supplementary spending when unforeseen circumstances or specific priorities require additional resources. 2. **Judiciary (Judiciário):** The law specifically targets the judicial branch of government, rather than the executive or legislative branches. This indicates that the special budgetary adjustment was intended to address financial needs within the court system. 3. **Federal District (Distrito Federal - DF):** The geographic and administrative focus of the law was the Federal District. In December 1959, the Federal District still referred to the city of Rio de Janeiro, as the new Federal District centered on Brasília would not be officially inaugurated until April 22, 1960. This timing places the law at a critical juncture in Brazil's administrative reorganization. ### Publication and Official Documentation The law was **published in Rio de Janeiro** on **December 24, 1959**. Rio de Janeiro served as Brazil's capital city from 1763 until 1960, making it the official seat of federal government at the time of publication. The Christmas Eve publication date was not unusual in Brazilian administrative practice, as official government business continued through the end of the calendar year. The law is assigned the Lexml Brazil identifier **urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3715**, which follows the standardized URN (Uniform Resource Name) format for Brazilian legal documents. This identifier breaks down as: - `urn:lex` — the Lexml namespace - `br` — Brazil country code - `federal` — federal level of government - `lei` — law type - `1959-12-24` — date of enactment - `3715` — law number ### Digital Availability and Accessibility The full text of Law No. 3715/1959 is available online through the **official Portal of the Presidency of the Republic** at: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3715.htm This digital archive is maintained by the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency and provides public access to Brazilian legislation from the 1950-1969 period. The availability of this law through official government channels ensures transparency and public accessibility to legal documents that remain part of Brazil's legislative history. ### Historical Context: Brazil in 1959 Brazil in 1959 was in the midst of significant transformation. President Kubitschek's government was completing the construction of **Brasília**, which would be inaugurated just four months later in April 1960. The decision to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to the interior of Brazil represented one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the country's history. During this period, the Federal District (then Rio de Janeiro) was undergoing administrative preparations for the transition. The judiciary in the Federal District would have been affected by these changes, potentially requiring special budgetary provisions to manage the transition, relocate personnel, or establish new judicial infrastructure. The Brazilian economy in 1959 was experiencing rapid industrialization under Kubitschek's development policies, but also facing inflationary pressures. Special budgetary credits were one mechanism used to manage government finances during this period of expansion. ### Relation to Brazilian Statutory Framework As a **statute**, Law No. 3715/1959 is part of Brazil's comprehensive system of written law. Statutes in the Brazilian legal tradition function as: - Formal manifestations of statutory law - Documents containing legal norms - Instruments created through the legislative process - Official records of governmental authority The law follows the standard naming convention for Brazilian federal legislation: "Lei nº [number], de [date]" and is classified under the broader category of "lei" (law) within the hierarchy of Brazilian legal instruments. It represents the exercise of legislative authority at the federal level, applicable throughout Brazilian territory. ### Knowledge Graph and Semantic Web Presence Law No. 3715/1959 has been incorporated into structured knowledge systems: - **WikiProject Brazilian Laws:** The law is included in this Wikimedia project, which aims to document Brazilian legislation in a structured, machine-readable format - **Lexml Brazil:** The official Brazilian legal information system provides standardized identifiers and metadata - **Wikidata:** The law has structured data entries with properties including title, country, approval authority, instance classification, main subjects, and publication details This structured documentation enables interoperability with other knowledge systems and supports legal research, historical analysis, and the preservation of Brazilian legislative history. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3715) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3715&ano=1959&data=24/12/1959&ato=29dkXTE9UMRRVT38b)