# Law No. 3971 of October 13, 1961 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105648151](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648151) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3971-of-october-13-1961 ## Summary **Law No. 3971 of October 13, 1961** is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to provide a special budgetary adjustment ("Credito Especial") specifically for the Brazilian Election Justice ("Justiça Eleitoral") within the judiciary branch. Promulgated by President João Goulart in Brasília, this legal act functions as a formal written document that creates statutory law applicable to the jurisdiction of Brazil. It is officially identified by the LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971`. ## Key Facts - **Title:** Lei nº 3971, de 13 de outubro de 1961 - **Short Title:** Lei nº 3971/1961 - **Alternative Name:** Lei nº 3971, de 13 de outubro de 1961 - **Date of Publication:** October 13, 1961 - **Country:** Brazil - **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil - **Instance of:** Statute (formal written document creating law) - **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Promulgated By:** João Goulart (President) - **Applies to Jurisdiction:** Brazil - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Main Subjects:** - Brazilian Election Justice (Justiça Eleitoral) - Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial) - Judiciary (Judiciario) - **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971` - **Official URL:** `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3971.htm` - **Wikimedia Project Focus:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3971/1961?** The law's main subject is the provision of a "special budgetary adjustment" (Credito Especial) specifically designated for the "Brazilian Election Justice" (Justiça Eleitoral), which is part of the broader judiciary branch in Brazil. **Who authorized and signed this law?** The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and was promulgated by President João Goulart on October 13, 1961. **How is this law formally classified?** It is classified as a "statute," which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. It applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil and is categorized as a federal law. **Where can the full text of this law be accessed?** The full text of the law is available online at the official Planalto Palace website via the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3971.htm` and is identified by the LexML ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971`. ## Why It Matters Law No. 3971 of 1961 matters as a specific statutory instrument that directly supports the operational capacity of the Brazilian Election Justice system. By authorizing a special budgetary adjustment, the law ensured the necessary financial resources were allocated to the judicial branch responsible for managing elections, thereby contributing to the logistical and administrative functioning of Brazil's electoral process in the early 1960s. As a federal statute enacted by President João Goulart, it represents a formal exercise of legislative authority at the national level, creating a binding legal norm within the Brazilian legal system. Its existence also highlights the procedural mechanisms—such as special credits—used by the Brazilian government to fund specific state functions outside of the ordinary budgetary process. ## Notable For - **Specific Budgetary Allocation:** Focuses entirely on a "special budgetary adjustment" for the electoral justice system, distinguishing it from general legislation. - **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, a significant period in Brazilian political history. - **Election Justice Funding:** Directly supports the "Justiça Eleitoral," the specialized judicial branch responsible for elections in Brazil. - **Legal Identification:** Possesses a unique LexML Brazil identifier (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971`), integrating it into a structured legal knowledge base. ## Body ### Legal Definition and Classification Law No. 3971 of October 13, 1961, is formally classified as a **statute** (Portuguese: *Lei*). In the context of legal terminology, a statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law. It acts as a manifestation of statutory law and is considered a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." This specific statute is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and serves as the official record of a legal rule enacted by the Brazilian government. ### Approval and Promulgation The law was officially approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. Its promulgation took place on **October 13, 1961**, and was authorized by **João Goulart**, who was serving as the President at that time. The act of promulgation is the formal process that puts the law into effect, making it a binding legal instrument within the jurisdiction of **Brazil**. The location of publication is recorded as **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. ### Subject Matter and Scope The primary focus of Law No. 3971/1961 is defined by its three main subjects: - **Brazilian Election Justice (Justiça Eleitoral):** The specialized branch of the Brazilian judiciary responsible for administering and overseeing all electoral processes. This law is directly aimed at this entity. - **Special Budgetary Adjustment (Credito Especial):** The law authorizes this specific type of financial allocation. A special credit is a budgetary mechanism used to allocate funds for unexpected or specific needs not covered in the annual budget. - **Judiciary (Judiciario):** The law operates within the broader context of the judicial branch, providing funding to a specific part of this system. The law applies to the entire **jurisdiction of Brazil** and is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**. ### Official Identification and Access The law is cataloged and accessible through official legal databases using the following identifiers and links: - **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971`. This Uniform Resource Name (URN) provides a standardized, unique identifier for the legal document within the Brazilian legal information system. - **Legal Citation:** The standard citation format for this law is `Lei nº 3971/1961`. - **Work Available at URL:** The full text of the law can be accessed publicly at the official government website of the Planalto Palace: `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3971.htm`. This law is also listed on the **on focus list of Wikimedia project**: **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its recognition as a relevant topic for structured knowledge curation. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-13;3971) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3971&ano=1961&data=13/10/1961&ato=583gXRU5keVRVTec2)