# Law No. 405 of September 24, 1948

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649805](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649805)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-405-of-september-24-1948

## Summary
**Law No. 405 of September 24, 1948** (Portuguese: *Lei nº 405, de 24 de setembro de 1948*) is a Brazilian statute that extinguished the National Gas Commission (*Comissão Nacional de Gasogenio*). Enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and published in Rio de Janeiro, the law transferred the competencies, assets, and functions of the dissolved commission to the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil. It serves as a specific instance of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system.

## Key Facts

- **Official Title:** Lei nº 405, de 24 de setembro de 1948
- **Date of Enactment:** September 24, 1948
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro (then the federal capital)
- **Issuing Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Primary Action:** Extinguished the National Gas Commission (*Comissão Nacional de Gasogenio*)
- **Key Subject:** Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 405/1948
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-24;405`
- **Structural Type:** Subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule"
- **Wikimedia Project:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What was the primary purpose of Law No. 405/1948?**
The law was enacted to extinguish the National Gas Commission (*Comissão Nacional de Gasogenio*). It facilitated the transfer of the commission's competencies, installation duties, materials (goods), and functions to the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil.

**Where and when was this law published?**
The law was published on September 24, 1948, in Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of Brazil at that time (prior to the move to Brasília in 1960).

**What type of legal document is Law No. 405?**
It is classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it is considered a "legal term or legal concept" and a manifestation of statutory law, distinct from executive orders or by-laws, though it shares the classification of being a "written work" and "rule."

**How is this law formally identified in legal databases?**
The law is identified by the legal citation **Lei nº 405/1948**. Its specific identifier in the Brazilian legal information system (LexML) is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-24;405`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 405 of September 24, 1948, represents a specific administrative reorganization within Brazilian history. By extinguishing the National Gas Commission, the law marked a shift in how the Brazilian government managed energy resources—specifically gasogenos—transferring that responsibility directly to the Ministry of Agriculture. This action highlights the administrative priorities of Brazil in the post-World War II era (1948) while the country was still operating from its capital in Rio de Janeiro.

As a **statute**, the document embodies the core principles of statutory law: it is a formal, written manifestation of a rule enacted by the government. It serves as a concrete example of how Brazilian legal authority is exercised, documented, and made accessible to the public. The law's existence on platforms like WikiProject Brazilian Laws and its cataloging via LexML identifiers underscore its ongoing relevance as a matter of public record and legal history.

## Notable For
- **Administrative Reorganization:** Notable for dissolving the National Gas Commission, a specific regulatory body, and consolidating its powers under the Ministry of Agriculture.
- **Capital Context:** Published in Rio de Janeiro, reflecting the political geography of Brazil prior to the inauguration of Brasília in 1960.
- **Legal Ontology:** Serves as a real-world example of the "statute" class, equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` standard used in structured data.
- **Public Record:** Like all statutes, it is presumed to be in the public domain as an official government edict, ensuring unrestricted public access to the legal text.
- **Semantic Interconnection:** It is a documented entity within WikiProject Brazilian Laws and possesses a distinct LexML URN, integrating it into the broader legal knowledge graph.

## Body

### Definition and Classification
Law No. 405 of September 24, 1948, is a **statute**, defined formally as a written document that creates law. It falls under the classification of a "legal term or legal concept" and is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." Statutes are distinct from general legal acts in that they serve as the physical or formal expression of legal norms. In the context of ontologies, this entity is equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class.

The law was enacted in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the jurisdiction it applies to. As an edict of the government, it shares the characteristic of being a formal manifestation of statutory law.

### Enactment and Authority
The statute was approved via promulgation on September 24, 1948. The authorizing body was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The place of publication was **Rio de Janeiro**, which served as the capital of Brazil until 1960.

The legal citation for this document is **Lei nº 405/1948**, and it is permanently archived and referenced using the LexML Brazil ID: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-24;405`.

### Subject Matter and Provisions
The law's primary function, as recorded in the law digest, was to **extinguish the National Gas Commission** (*Comissão Nacional de Gasogenio*). The statute outlines several key subjects and operations required to execute this dissolution:

- **Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil:** The primary subject responsible for receiving the transferred functions.
- **Extinction (*Extinção*):** The formal termination of the National Gas Commission.
- **Creation/Installation (*Instalação*):** Provisions regarding the setup of new administrative structures or the absorption of functions.
- **Goods/Material (*Material*):** The transfer of physical assets from the defunct commission.
- **Competency (*Competencia*):** The transfer of legal authority and responsibilities.
- **Transfer (*Transferencia*):** The logistical and legal process of moving duties and assets.

### Jurisdiction and Historical Context
This law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, a federal republic located in South America. At the time of the law's enactment in 1948, Brazil was operating under the constitutional framework preceding the 1964 military regime and the 1988 constitution. The country, which declared independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822, has a legal system based on Roman law (Civil law), where statutes serve as the primary source of law.

The law is indexed under **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance in the systematic organization of Brazilian legislation on knowledge platforms. As a statute, it represents a specific point in the legislative history of Brazil, documenting the administrative evolution of government bodies like the Ministry of Agriculture and the regulation of national gas resources.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-24;405)
2. LexML Brasil