# Law No. 4051 of March 1, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648143](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648143)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4051-of-march-1-1962

## Summary
Law No. 4051 of March 1, 1962, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted under the presidency of João Goulart that authorizes a special budgetary adjustment. This legislation specifically addresses financial matters concerning the Ministry of Education and the states of Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará. As a formal written document, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4051, de 1 de março de 1962.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4051/1962.
- **Date of Enactment:** March 1, 1962.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Promulgation by João Goulart).
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal).
- **Classification:** Instance of a statute (formal written document that creates law).
- **Main Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial).
- **Affected Entities:** Ministry of Education; States of Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **LexML ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-03-01;4051.
- **Availability:** Hosted at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4051.htm.
- **WikiProject:** Listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws.
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain (as an official legal document/edict of government).

## FAQs
**What is the primary function of Law No. 4051/1962?**
The law functions as a special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial), authorizing specific financial allocations or credits for the Ministry of Education and the states of Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará.

**Who signed Law No. 4051 into effect?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with President João Goulart executing the promulgation on March 1, 1962.

**Where can the official text of this law be found?**
The official text is available at the Brazilian Presidency's legislation portal (planalto.gov.br) and is indexed in the LexML system under the ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-03-01;4051`.

**Is this law copyrighted?**
No, as a statute and official government edict, Law No. 4051 is in the public domain, ensuring unrestricted public access to the legal text.

**Which states are directly impacted by this legislation?**
The law specifically names and impacts the states of Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará in addition to the federal Ministry of Education.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4051 matters as a concrete example of the Brazilian federal government's exercise of fiscal authority during the early 1960s. By authorizing a special budgetary adjustment, the law provided the necessary legal framework for the Ministry of Education and specific states (Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará) to access funds outside the standard budgetary process. This highlights the flexibility inherent in statutory law to address immediate financial needs. Furthermore, as a statute, it represents the tangible manifestation of government authority, serving as the definitive, written record of the legal rules governing these financial transactions. Its status as a public domain document ensures that the specifics of this budgetary adjustment remain permanently accessible to the public, reinforcing principles of transparency and the rule of law within Brazil's federal republic.

## Notable For
- **Presidential Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, a significant period in Brazilian political history preceding the 1964 coup.
- **Specific Fiscal Targeting:** Notable for targeting a "special budgetary adjustment" (Crédito Especial) toward a specific ministry (Education) and a defined group of states (Sergipe, Minas Gerais, Pará).
- **Legal Standardization:** Recognized and indexed by LexML, a standardized system for legal legislation in Brazil, ensuring interoperability of legal data.
- **WikiProject Scope:** Included in the scope of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its relevance in the documentation of Brazilian legal history.
- **Capital Publication:** Published in Brasília, reflecting the city's status as the federal capital since 1960.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 4051 of March 1, 1962, is classified as a **statute**, a foundational legal concept defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," it functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. Structurally, the law is composed of legal norms and serves as the official record of the legal rules enacted by the Brazilian government. Like other statutes, it is distinct from abstract legal theories, serving instead as the tangible instrument through which government authority is exercised. In terms of intellectual property, this law falls under the "edict of government doctrine," meaning it is in the public domain in the United States, France, and other jurisdictions, ensuring that the text is freely accessible to the public without copyright restrictions.

### Legislative Authority and Context
The statute was enacted by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with the determination method recorded as "promulgation." The specific approval is attributed to **João Goulart**, who served as President at the time. The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, a federal republic and the largest country in South America. Brazil operates as a representative democracy with a presidential system, divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. During the period of this law's enactment (1962), Brazil was governed under its democratic system prior to the military rule that began in 1964. The law reflects the federal structure of the country, involving both the national Ministry of Education and constituent states (Sergipe, Minas Gerais, and Pará).

### Subject Matter and Scope
The primary subject of Law No. 4051 is a **special budgetary adjustment**, referred to in the text as "Credito Especial." This indicates that the legislation was designed to authorize specific credit or financial adjustments outside of the regular annual budget. The scope of the law is explicitly tied to:
- **Ministry of Education (Ministerio Da Educação - MEC):** The federal body responsible for educational policy.
- **State of Sergipe (Estado De Sergipe - Se):** A state in the Northeast region of Brazil.
- **State of Minas Gerais (Estado De Minas Gerais - Mg):** A major state in the Southeast region.
- **State of Pará (Estado Do Para - Pa):** A state in the North region, largely encompassing the Amazon rainforest.

This combination of subjects suggests the law was intended to address specific educational infrastructure or funding needs across these diverse geographic regions within Brazil.

### Publication and Identification
The law was published on **March 1, 1962**, in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. Brasília has served as the seat of the Brazilian government since April 22, 1960, replacing Rio de Janeiro. The document is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil.

For identification and retrieval, the law is assigned several key identifiers:
- **LexML ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-03-01;4051`
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4051/1962
- **Work URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4051.htm

The law is also tracked within the context of the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative effort to document and maintain Brazilian legal entries. It is modeled in semantic web structures as an equivalent class to `https://schema.org/Legislation`, aligning it with global standards for legal data interchange.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-03-01;4051)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4051&ano=1962&data=01/03/1962&ato=0eeQzaq1kMVRVT6e1)