# Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105648058](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648058) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3895-of-may-19-1961 ## Summary Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961 (Lei nº 3895/1961) is a Brazilian statute that grants a lifelong monthly pension of CR 8,000.00 to Ana Aguiar Barbosa Cruz, the widow of engineer and professor Henrique Barbosa da Cruz. Promulgated by President Jânio Quadros on behalf of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, this law represents an individual legislative act conferring specific benefits rather than establishing general legal norms. The law was published in Brasília and remains accessible through the official government legal database. ## Key Facts - **Official Title:** Lei nº 3895, de 19 de maio de 1961 - **Publication Date:** May 19, 1961 - **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **President:** Jânio Quadros (determination method: promulgation) - **Country of Origin:** Brazil - **Place of Publication:** Brasília - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Legal Subject Matter:** Concessão (Concession/Grant) - **Beneficiary:** Ana Aguiar Barbosa Cruz (widow of Henrique Barbosa da Cruz) - **Pension Amount:** CR 8,000.00 monthly (lifelong) - **Legal Classification:** Statute - **Jurisdiction:** Brazil - **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-05-19;3895 - **Official Citation:** Lei nº 3895/1961 - **Archived Location:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3895.htm - **Related Legal Concept:** Statute (formal written document that creates law) ## FAQs **What is Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961?** Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961 is a Brazilian federal law that grants a lifelong monthly pension of CR 8,000.00 to Ana Aguiar Barbosa Cruz, the widow of engineer and professor Henrique Barbosa da Cruz. It was promulgated by President Jânio Quadros on May 19, 1961. **What type of law is Lei nº 3895/1961?** This law is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. Specifically, it is an individual legislative act (ato legislativo individual) that confers a specific benefit rather than establishing general legal norms applicable to the public. **Who created Law No. 3895 of 1961?** The law was created by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and formally promulgated by President Jânio Quadros on May 19, 1961. The law bears the signature of the president and represents an exercise of executive authority in conjunction with legislative function. **What was the purpose of this law?** The explicit purpose of Law No. 3895/1961 was to grant a lifelong monthly pension of CR 8,000.00 to Ana Aguiar Barbosa Cruz, who was the widow of Henrique Barbosa da Cruz, described as an engineer and professor. This type of legislation was common in Brazilian legal practice during the mid-20th century, providing direct financial support to specific individuals or their surviving dependents. **Where can Law No. 3895/1961 be accessed?** The full text of the law is available through the official website of the Brazilian government at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3895.htm. It is also catalogued in the LexML Brazil legal database under the identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-05-19;3895. **How does this law relate to the concept of a statute?** Law No. 3895/1961 exemplifies the legal concept of a statute as defined in legal knowledge systems—a formal written document that creates law. While it differs from general statutes in that it confers a specific individual benefit rather than establishing abstract legal norms, it shares the characteristic of being a formal legislative enactment with legal force. Statutes in Brazil encompass acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws, with this law falling under the category of legislative acts. ## Why It Matters Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961 matters as a historical artifact of Brazilian legislative practice during the early 1960s. This law exemplifies a category of individual legislative acts—personal pension laws—that were once common in Brazilian governance but have become less prevalent in modern legislative practice. Understanding this law provides insight into how the Brazilian government historically addressed social welfare needs through direct legislative intervention rather than through generalized social security systems. The law also serves as a window into Brazilian political history during the presidency of Jânio Quadros (1961), a notable period in Brazil's democratic development. The law's existence in official government archives demonstrates the continuity of Brazilian legal institutions and the preservation of legislative history. From a legal taxonomy perspective, this law illustrates the distinction between general statutes (which establish abstract legal norms) and individual legislative acts (which confer specific benefits to particular persons). This classification is important for legal information systems, library classification, and semantic web applications that seek to accurately represent different types of legal instruments. Furthermore, the law's availability in the public domain—consistent with the "edict of government doctrine" that applies to Brazilian statutes—ensures citizens can access and study these historical legal documents, supporting principles of transparency and open government. ## Notable For - **Historical Significance:** Represents Brazilian legislative practice from the Jânio Quadros administration (1961) - **Individual Legislative Act:** Demonstrates the use of personal pension laws as a tool for social support in mid-20th century Brazil - **Legal Preservation:** Remains accessible through official government archives and legal databases - **Classification as Statute:** Serves as an example of the statute concept in Brazilian law, distinct from general legal norms - **Documented Source:** Available through multiple authoritative sources including the Presidency's legislation portal and LexML Brazil ## Body ### Legislative Context and Historical Background Law No. 3895 of May 19, 1961 was enacted during a significant period in Brazilian political history. The law was promulgated by President Jânio Quadros, who served as President of Brazil from January 31, 1961 to August 25, 1961. Jânio Quadros was known for his conservative political stance and his distinctive personal style, including his refusal to use the presidential sash and his implementation of austerity measures during his brief tenure. The law represents an individual legislative act—a category of law common in Brazilian legislative practice that grants specific benefits to particular individuals rather than establishing general legal rules. Such acts were frequently used to provide pension benefits to widows of public servants, military personnel, or prominent citizens who had rendered service to the nation. ### Legal Nature and Classification This law is classified as a statute within the Brazilian legal system. A statute, as defined in legal knowledge systems, is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. Law No. 3895/1961 specifically falls under the category of legislative acts (atos legislativos) that confer individual benefits. The law's main subject is classified as "Concessão" (Concession), indicating its purpose of granting a specific benefit rather than establishing regulatory or penal provisions. This classification is important for legal information retrieval systems and library classification purposes. ### The Beneficiary The law granted a lifelong monthly pension of CR 8,000.00 to Ana Aguiar Barbosa Cruz, the widow of Henrique Barbosa da Cruz. The beneficiary's late husband was described as an engineer and professor, suggesting he was a professional who had contributed to Brazilian society through technical and educational work. The pension amount of CR 8,000.00 (Cruzeiros Reais, the currency in use at that time) represented a significant sum in the early 1960s Brazilian economy. ### Institutional Framework The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the executive branch of the federal government. The official site for Brazilian presidential legislation (legislacao.presidencia.gov.br) maintains the archived version of this law, demonstrating the government's commitment to preserving legislative history. The law was published in Brasília, which had been Brazil's capital since 1960, when the capital administration was transferred from Rio de Janeiro to the newly constructed planned city in the Brazilian Highlands. ### Legal Documentation and Preservation Law No. 3895/1961 is preserved in multiple official repositories: - The official website of the Presidency of the Republic (planalto.gov.br) maintains the original text at /ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3895.htm - The LexML Brazil legal database catalogs the law under the identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-05-19;3895 - The legislation portal (legislacao.presidencia.gov.br) provides access with the reference code f29ITSE5keVRVT94f The legal citation for this statute is "Lei nº 3895/1961," following standard Brazilian legal citation conventions that include the law number, the year, and the type of legislative instrument. ### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts This law connects to the broader legal concept of a statute as understood in legal theory and knowledge representation. Statutes are formal written documents that create law and serve as the manifestation of statutory law. In the Brazilian context, statutes are distinguished from other legal instruments such as decrees, regulations, and judicial decisions. The law also relates to concepts of social welfare and pension rights in Brazil. While Brazil's social security system has evolved significantly since 1961, individual pension laws represented an early mechanism for providing support to surviving dependents of professionals who had served the nation. ### Currency Context The law was enacted using the Cruzeiros Reais (CR$) currency, which was in circulation in Brazil from 1942 to 1967. The denomination CR 8,000.00 would have represented a substantial monthly income in the early 1960s, reflecting the economic conditions and currency values of that period in Brazilian history. ### Accessibility and Public Domain As a Brazilian statute, Law No. 3895/1961 falls under the public domain status that applies to official legal documents in Brazil. This ensures that citizens, researchers, and legal professionals have unrestricted access to study and reference these historical legislative documents. The public accessibility of such laws supports democratic transparency and allows for historical research into Brazilian legislative practices. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-05-19;3895) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3895&ano=1961&data=19/05/1961&ato=f29ITSE5keVRVT94f) 3. LexML Brasil