# Law No. 3973 of October 24, 1961

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648153](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648153)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3973-of-october-24-1961

## Summary
Law No. 3973 of October 24, 1961 (Lei nº 3973/1961) is a Brazilian statute that authorizes special budgetary adjustments and financial transfers for specific government branches. Enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President João Goulart, the law allocates special credits to the Federal District, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and the judiciary. It serves as a formal written legal document applicable throughout Brazil, published in the capital city of Brasília.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3973, de 24 de outubro de 1961
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3973/1961
- **Date of Promulgation:** October 24, 1961
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating Agent:** João Goulart
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília
- **Instance Of:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Main Subjects:** Special budgetary adjustment (Credito Especial), Federal District (Distrito Federal), Superior Electoral Court (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral), Judiciary (Judiciario), and financial transfers (Transferencia)
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-24;3973
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3973.htm
- **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Copyright Status:** Public Domain (Edict of government doctrine)

## FAQs
**What is the primary function of Law No. 3973/1961?**
This law functions as a fiscal instrument to authorize special budgetary adjustments, specifically opening credits for the Federal District, the Superior Electoral Court, and the judiciary through financial transfers.

**Who signed Law No. 3973 into effect?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and was promulgated by João Goulart on October 24, 1961.

**Where is Law No. 3973 officially published?**
The law was published in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil, and the full text is available on the official Planalto government website.

**Is the text of Law No. 3973 copyrighted?**
No, as a Brazilian statute, it is a formal written legal document and is in the public domain, adhering to the edict of government doctrine which prohibits copyright on official government enactments.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3973 of 1961 matters as a concrete example of statutory law used to manage the financial administration of the Brazilian state's critical branches. By specifically targeting the judiciary and the Superior Electoral Court, the statute underscores the importance of securing independent funding for the judicial and electoral processes within Brazil's federal republic system. Its enactment during the presidency of João Goulart places it within a specific historical context of Brazilian governance, serving as a tangible record of the legislative priorities and fiscal adjustments of that era. The law's preservation and accessibility via platforms like Lexml and the Planalto website ensure transparency, allowing citizens and legal professionals to verify the historical allocation of "special credits" to the Federal District and other key entities.

## Notable For
- **Specific Fiscal Allocation:** Notable for authorizing "Credito Especial" (special credit) specifically for the "Judiciario" (Judiciary) and "Tribunal Superior Eleitoral" (TSE).
- **Goulart Administration:** Promulgated by João Goulart, marking a legislative action during his specific tenure as President in 1961.
- **Capital Transition:** Published in Brasília, reflecting the relatively recent (1960) shift of the federal capital to the newly built city.
- **Digital Standardization:** Assigned a specific Lexml ID (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-24;3973), facilitating its integration into modern Brazilian legal databases.
- **WikiProject Coverage:** Recognized and cataloged within the scope of the WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its relevance in the encyclopedic documentation of national legislation.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 3973 of October 24, 1961 is classified as a **statute**, a legal term defined as a formal written document that creates law. As an instance of a statute, it is taxonomically categorized as a subclass of a "written work," "document," and "rule." It acts as the concrete manifestation of statutory law, serving as the official record of the legal rule enacted by the government. Structurally, this statute is composed of legal norms and was created through the legislative process, preceded by draft laws and caused by the act of legislation. In accordance with the edict of government doctrine, this statute is in the public domain, ensuring that the legal text is freely owned and accessible by the public without copyright restrictions.

### Jurisdiction and National Context
The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, the largest country in South America and a federal republic. The statute reflects the administrative structure of Brazil, enacted under the authority of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The place of publication is **Brasília**, the capital of Brazil since April 22, 1960, situating the law within the context of the newly established federal district. The work is composed in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil, which is used by the country's government, legal system, and approximately 213 million inhabitants. As a federal republic, Brazil's legislative acts such as this apply across its extensive territory, which spans 8.5 million km² and encompasses diverse ecosystems from the Amazon rainforest to the Atlantic coast.

### Enactment and Authority
The statute was enacted on October 24, 1961, through the approval of the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific determination method recorded for its enactment is **promulgation** by **João Goulart**. This places the law within the timeline of Brazilian leadership, specifically during the presidency of João Goulart. The "approved_by" property directly links the statute to the executive authority of the Brazilian government during that period. The publication date coincides with the date of promulgation, marking the moment the document became an official part of the statutory law of Brazil.

### Legislative Content and Scope
The primary content of Law No. 3973 revolves around financial administration, specifically categorized under the main subject of **special budgetary adjustment** (cited in the text as "Credito Especial"). The law facilitates the movement of funds classified as **transfer** ("Transferencia"). The scope of the statute is narrow and targeted, applying to specific entities within the Brazilian government structure:
*   **Federal District (Distrito Federal):** The law addresses budgetary matters for the capital's federal district.
*   **Superior Electoral Court (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral - TSE):** It allocates resources to the body responsible for overseeing elections in Brazil.
*   **Judiciary (Judiciario):** The law includes provisions for the judicial branch of the government.

### Identification and Accessibility
The law is identified by several standardized codes and references that ensure its retrievability in legal databases and knowledge graphs.
*   **Lexml ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-24;3973`
*   **Legal Citation:** `Lei nº 3973/1961`
*   **Aliases:** `Lei nº 3973, de 24 de outubro de 1961`
*   **Work URL:** `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3973.htm`

The statute is also included in the **on_focus_list_of_wikimedia_project** known as **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its importance in the structured documentation of Brazil's legal history on platforms like Wikipedia and Wikidata. It serves as an equivalent class to `https://schema.org/Legislation` in structured data contexts, bridging the gap between traditional legal texts and semantic web technologies.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-10-24;3973)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3973&ano=1961&data=24/10/1961&ato=72doXRU5keVRVTfc5)