# Law No. 3970 of October 13, 1961

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648149](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648149)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3970-of-october-13-1961

## Summary
Law No. 3970 of October 13, 1961, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to amend and consolidate the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT). Promulgated by President João Goulart, this legal instrument serves as a formal written document that modifies existing labor regulations within the jurisdiction of Brazil. It is classified as a statute and remains a foundational component of the country's labor legal framework.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3970, de 13 de outubro de 1961.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3970/1961.
- **Enactment Date:** October 13, 1961.
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating President:** João Goulart (serving as President at the time of promulgation).
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil).
- **Primary Subject:** Consolidation of Labor Laws (Consolidação Das Leis Do Trabalho - CLT).
- **Specific Action:** Amendment/Change (Alteração) to existing labor statutes.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília.
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (a formal written document creating law).
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3970.
- **Official Online Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3970.htm.
- **Source References:** Data verified via LexML Brazil (accessed 2021-01-28) and the Presidency of the Republic legislation portal (accessed 2021-02-17).

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3970?**
The law was enacted specifically to alter and update provisions within the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), ensuring that labor regulations remained current with the economic and social needs of Brazil in 1961. It functions as a legislative amendment rather than a completely new code, modifying the existing statutory framework.

**Who signed this law into effect?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under the administration of President João Goulart on October 13, 1961. This action formalized the legal changes within the executive branch's authority.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available in Brazilian Portuguese through the Planalto government portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3970.htm. It is also indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3970.

**Does this law apply to other countries?**
No, the jurisdiction of Law No. 3970 is strictly limited to the Federative Republic of Brazil. It is a federal statute designed to govern labor relations and legal standards exclusively within Brazilian territory.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3970 is significant because it represents a critical update to Brazil's labor code during a period of political and economic transition in the early 1960s. By amending the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), the statute ensured that the rights and obligations of workers and employers were adjusted to reflect contemporary realities, maintaining the stability of the nation's labor market. As a formal statute, it serves as a binding legal norm that courts, administrators, and citizens must follow, reinforcing the rule of law in Brazil. Its existence highlights the continuous legislative process required to adapt foundational legal documents like the CLT to evolving societal conditions. Furthermore, as a public domain document, it ensures that the legal mandates governing the workforce are accessible to all citizens, supporting transparency and legal compliance.

## Notable For
- **Specific Legislative Focus:** Distinctly targets the amendment of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), a cornerstone of Brazilian labor jurisprudence.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, a pivotal era in Brazilian political history.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully indexed in the LexML Brazil open data system with a persistent URN identifier.
- **Official Accessibility:** Hosted on the official Planalto government website, ensuring authoritative access for legal professionals and the public.
- **Legal Classification:** Serves as a clear example of a "statute" that functions as a formal written document creating law, distinct from executive orders or by-laws in its legislative origin.
- **Jurisdictional Specificity:** Applies exclusively to the Federative Republic of Brazil, reflecting the federal structure of the nation's legal system.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Nature
Law No. 3970 of October 13, 1961, is formally classified as a **statute**. In the context of legal taxonomy, a statute is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws. This specific entity functions as a manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system. It is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and is taxonomically a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." The law is composed of "legal norms" and acts as a "part of" the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act." Its creation follows the process of "draft laws" and is caused by the act of "legislation."

### Enactment and Promulgation Details
The statute was officially approved and promulgated on **October 13, 1961**. The authority responsible for this action was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. At the time of promulgation, the head of state was **João Goulart**, whose administration oversaw the finalization of this legislative act. The place of publication for this federal law was **Brasília**, the capital of Brazil. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, which is the official language of the country. The legal citation used to reference this text is **Lei nº 3970/1961**.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The primary subject of Law No. 3970 is the **Consolidation of Labor Laws**, widely known by its Portuguese acronym **CLT** (Consolidação Das Leis Do Trabalho). The specific function of this statute is to enact a **change** or **alteration** (Alteração) to the existing CLT framework. Rather than replacing the entire code, it serves as an amendment instrument, modifying specific provisions to update labor regulations. This aligns with the general function of statutes to act as the physical or formal expression of legal rules, ensuring that the CLT remains a dynamic and responsive legal instrument.

### Digital Identification and Accessibility
In the modern digital landscape, Law No. 3970 is uniquely identified and accessible through several authoritative systems:
- **LexML Brazil ID:** The law is assigned the persistent identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3970`, which allows for precise citation and retrieval within the Brazilian legal data ecosystem.
- **Official Web Presence:** The full text is hosted on the Planalto government portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3970.htm`.
- **Source Verification:** The data regarding this law has been referenced and verified through the LexML Brazil portal (accessed January 28, 2021) and the Presidency of the Republic's legislation portal (accessed February 17, 2021).
- **Wikidata Integration:** The entity is documented in Wikidata with a description of "Brazilian law" and is linked to the broader concept of statutes, which has a sitelink count of 117 across various language editions.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
Law No. 3970 exemplifies the broader concept of a **statute**, which is a foundational legal concept recognized globally. As a statute, it is in the public domain, consistent with the "edict of government doctrine" applicable in many jurisdictions, including Brazil's adherence to open government principles for legal texts. It is equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class used in structured data on the web, facilitating its integration into semantic web technologies and knowledge graphs. The law is part of the "Category:Act" and is connected to the broader "legal act" and "legislation" processes. Its existence reinforces the principle that statutes are the tangible "manifestation of statutory law," serving as the definitive reference point for courts, citizens, and administrators regarding labor rights and obligations in Brazil.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3970)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3970&ano=1961&data=13/10/1961&ato=d7ecXRU5keVRVT7bc)