# Law No. 3722 of December 24, 1959 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105648653](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648653) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3722-of-december-24-1959 ## Summary **Law No. 3722 of December 24, 1959** (Lei nº 3722, de 24 de dezembro de 1959) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek. The law addresses budgetary matters concerning the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal) for a financial year, including provisions for rectification. It was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the federal capital at the time. ## Key Facts - **Full Title:** Lei nº 3722, de 24 de dezembro de 1959 (Law No. 3722 of December 24, 1959) - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3722/1959 - **Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law) - **Country:** Brazil - **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil - **Publication Date:** December 24, 1959 - **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (federal capital at the time) - **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Promulgating Authority:** President Juscelino Kubitschek - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Main Subjects:** Budget (Orçamento), Financial Year (Exercicio Financeiro), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Rectification (Retificação) - **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3722 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3722.htm - **WikiProject Membership:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What type of legal instrument is Law No. 3722/1959?** Law No. 3722/1959 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms enacted by the Brazilian federal government. **Who authorized Law No. 3722/1959?** The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil through promulgation by President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 24, 1959. **What topics does Law No. 3722/1959 cover?** The law's main subjects are budget (Orçamento), the financial year (Exercicio Financeiro), the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), and rectification (Retificação). These indicate it is a budgetary or financial management law. **Where can the full text of Law No. 3722/1959 be accessed?** The official text is available at the Planalto Presidential Palace website: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3722.htm. It is also indexed under the LexML Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3722. **Why was this law published in Rio de Janeiro?** At the time of the law's publication on December 24, 1959, Rio de Janeiro was the federal capital of Brazil. The capital was transferred to Brasília on April 22, 1960, approximately four months later. ## Why It Matters Law No. 3722 of December 24, 1959, represents an important instrument of Brazilian federal fiscal governance during a transformative period in the nation's history. Enacted under President Juscelino Kubitschek's administration—a period known for rapid industrialization and development initiatives, including the construction of Brasília—this statute reflects the legal mechanisms through which the federal government managed its budgetary obligations and financial operations. As a statute addressing budget, financial year, and rectification matters, the law would have governed how federal resources were allocated, spent, and accounted for during its applicable fiscal period. Such budgetary laws are foundational to governmental operations, enabling public administration to function and ensuring legal compliance in public expenditure. The law's publication in Rio de Janeiro also marks it as one of the final federal statutes issued from the former capital before the historic transfer to Brasília in April 1960. This situates the law at a transitional moment in Brazilian institutional history. ## Notable For - **Late Capital Era Publication:** One of the last Brazilian federal laws published in Rio de Janeiro before the capital moved to Brasília on April 22, 1960 - **Kubitschek Administration:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956–1961), a period marked by ambitious modernization efforts - **Budgetary Legislation:** A statute specifically addressing federal budget and financial year matters for the Brazilian Union - **LexML Integration:** Indexed in Brazil's official legal information system with standardized URN identifier - **WikiProject Recognition:** Cataloged under WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating scholarly and community interest in its documentation ## Body ### Legal Classification and Nature Law No. 3722 of December 24, 1959, is formally classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law. Within legal taxonomy, a statute functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law and is composed of legal norms. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," the statute represents the official record of a legal rule enacted by governmental authority. The statute was created through the legislative process, following draft laws, and was caused by the formal act of legislation. It serves as the definitive written evidence of the legal rules it contains, governing matters within its specified scope. ### Promulgation and Authority The law was **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** through promulgation. The determination method was explicitly recorded as "promulgation," and the point in time was December 24, 1959. President **Juscelino Kubitschek** served as the head of state who authorized this statute. Kubitschek governed Brazil from 1956 to 1961, a five-year term characterized by the "Fifty Years in Five" (Cinquenta Anos em Cinco) development program. His administration prioritized industrialization, infrastructure development, and the construction of the new federal capital, Brasília. ### Subject Matter and Scope The statute addresses four principal subjects, as documented in official records: - **Budget (Orçamento):** The law pertains to financial planning and allocation of government resources - **Financial Year (Exercicio Financeiro):** It governs matters related to the fiscal year for government accounting - **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The law applies to the federal level of government, distinct from state or municipal jurisdictions - **Rectification (Retificação):** The statute includes provisions for corrections or amendments to previously established figures or provisions This combination of subjects indicates that Law No. 3722/1959 is a budgetary law—likely establishing, modifying, or correcting the federal budget for a specified financial year. ### Jurisdiction and Applicability The statute **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil** as a federal law. It binds the entire national territory and operates within the framework of Brazilian law. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the Federative Republic of Brazil. ### Publication Details The law was **published on December 24, 1959**, in **Rio de Janeiro**. At this time, Rio de Janeiro served as the federal capital of Brazil—a role it had maintained since 1763 during the colonial period, through independence, and into the republican era. The choice of publication date—Christmas Eve—reflects standard governmental practice of the period, when laws were published as they were finalized, regardless of calendar considerations. The capital transfer to Brasília occurred approximately four months later on **April 22, 1960**, making this statute part of the body of laws issued from the "old republic" capital before the new planned city assumed its role as the seat of federal government. ### Official Identification and Access The statute carries several official identifiers and access points: - **LexML Brazil URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3722` - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3722/1959 - **Official URL:** Available at the Planalto Presidential Palace website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3722.htm) The LexML (Legal XML) identifier follows Brazil's standardized system for legal document identification, enabling precise referencing across digital and institutional systems. ### Historical Context: Brazil in 1959 In 1959, Brazil was undergoing significant transformation under the Kubitschek administration. The country was constructing its new capital, Brasília, in the interior highlands—a project that would be inaugurated in April 1960. The economy was experiencing rapid industrialization, with automotive, steel, and consumer goods sectors expanding. The federal government's budgetary laws during this period reflected the substantial investments being made in infrastructure, including highways (such as the Belém-Brasília highway), hydroelectric dams, and the new capital city itself. Laws like No. 3722/1959 would have been part of the financial and administrative framework supporting these initiatives. ### WikiProject and Scholarly Recognition Law No. 3722/1959 is included in **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating that it has been identified as part of a systematic effort to document and catalog Brazilian legal instruments within open knowledge systems. This inclusion reflects the statute's relevance to understanding Brazil's legal and fiscal history. ### Statutory Status and Copyright As a statute, Law No. 3722/1959 falls within the category of official legal documents that, in many jurisdictions including the United States and France, are considered **public domain** under doctrines such as the "edict of government doctrine." This principle holds that official legal documents—including legislative enactments—are not subject to copyright restrictions because they represent the law that governs the public and must be freely accessible to all citizens. The practical effect is that the text of Law No. 3722/1959 can be freely reproduced, distributed, and referenced without copyright concerns, ensuring public access to the legal rules that bind Brazilian society. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1959-12-24;3722) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3722&ano=1959&data=24/12/1959&ato=f60ITUE9UMRRVT596)