# Law No. 4071 of June 15, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648258](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648258)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4071-of-june-15-1962

## Summary
Law No. 4071 of June 15, 1962 is a Brazilian federal statute promulgated by President João Goulart that regulates payment to sugarcane farmers who supply sugar mills or distilleries. This law establishes provisions for pricing, deductions, payment terms, and oversight mechanisms within Brazil's sugarcane agricultural sector.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title**: Lei nº 4071, de 15 de junho de 1962
- **Legal Citation**: Lei nº 4071/1962
- **Promulgation Date**: June 15, 1962
- **Promulgating Authority**: Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Promulgation**: João Goulart
- **Determination Method**: Promulgation
- **Place of Publication**: Brasília
- **Country of Origin**: Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil)
- **Jurisdictional Application**: Applies to entire territory of Brazil
- **Language**: Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Document Type**: Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **LEXML Brazil ID**: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071
- **Official URL**: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4071.htm
- **Primary Subject Matter**: Payment to sugarcane farmers supplying sugar mills or distilleries
- **Key Concepts Covered**: Reduction (Dedução), Decision/Fixation (Fixação), Oversight (Fiscalização), Price (Preço), Payment (Pagamento)
- **Wikimedia Project**: On focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Copyright Status**: As a Brazilian statute, it is in the public domain under the edict of government doctrine, similar to public domain status in United States and France for official legal documents

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 4071 of June 15, 1962 about?**
The law governs payment arrangements for sugarcane farmers who supply their crops to sugar mills or distilleries, establishing legal frameworks for pricing, deductions, payment terms, and regulatory oversight in the sugarcane agricultural sector.

**Who promulgated Law No. 4071 and when?**
President João Goulart promulgated the law on June 15, 1962, through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil using the determination method of promulgation.

**What are the main subjects addressed in this statute?**
The statute addresses five main subjects: reduction (deductions), decision/fixation (price setting), oversight (supervision), price (pricing mechanisms), and payment (payment terms to farmers).

**Where can I access the full text of this law?**
The complete text is available at the official URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4071.htm, maintained by the Brazilian federal government.

**What type of legal document is Law No. 4071?**
It is a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law and serves as the manifestation of statutory law in Brazil's legal system.

**How is this law identified in legal databases?**
It uses the LEXML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071 and is cataloged under the legal citation format Lei nº 4071/1962.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4071 of June 15, 1962 matters because it established formal legal protections for sugarcane farmers within Brazil's agricultural economy, which has historically been one of the world's largest producers of sugarcane, sugar, and ethanol. By regulating payment terms, pricing mechanisms, and oversight, the law created a statutory framework that governs the commercial relationship between agricultural producers and industrial processors in a sector critical to Brazil's economy. As a federal statute, it represents the concrete manifestation of statutory law in Brazil's presidential federal republic system, where laws enacted by the executive branch have nationwide applicability. The law's inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates its significance as a documented piece of Brazil's legislative history. Its publication in Brasília, the federal capital since 1960, reflects the centralized legislative process of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The law's public domain status ensures that farmers, mill owners, legal professionals, and the general public have unrestricted access to its provisions, supporting transparency in agricultural commerce. The specific focus on sugarcane is particularly relevant given Brazil's position as a global agricultural powerhouse and the importance of the sugarcane industry to rural employment and national exports.

## Notable For
- **Specific Industry Focus**: One of the few Brazilian statutes exclusively dedicated to sugarcane farmer payment regulations
- **Historical Context**: Promulgated during the João Goulart presidency in the early 1960s, a period of significant political and economic change in Brazil
- **Comprehensive Subject Coverage**: Addresses five distinct legal concepts (reduction, decision/fixation, oversight, price, payment) within a single statute
- **Official Legal Identifiers**: Assigned a unique LEXML Brazil URN identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071) for precise digital retrieval
- **Wikimedia Documentation**: Specifically tracked by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its importance for legal documentation projects
- **Public Accessibility**: Available through multiple official channels including the Planalto government portal with a direct, stable URL
- **Jurisdictional Scope**: Applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil, covering all 26 states and the Federal District
- **Statute Classification**: Classified as a formal statute, making it part of the foundational legal concept documented in over 100 Wikipedia languages and recognized by global authority control systems including Library of Congress (sh85127611) and Bibliothèque nationale de France (120485802)

## Body

### Legal Classification and Identity
Law No. 4071 of June 15, 1962 is formally classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law and serves as the manifestation of statutory law. As an instance of this legal category, it functions as both a written work and a rule within Brazil's legal system. The statute is composed of legal norms and is part of the broader concepts of law and legal act in Brazil's federal republic framework. It follows draft laws and was caused by the act of legislation through presidential promulgation. The law is identified by the legal citation "Lei nº 4071/1962" and carries the LEXML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071, enabling precise location in Brazil's legal informatics system.

### Promulgation and Presidential Authority
The statute was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** on June 15, 1962, through the determination method of promulgation. The executive at the time was **João Goulart**, who served as President of Brazil. This promulgation occurred in Brasília, which has been the federal capital of Brazil since April 22, 1960, when the capital was transferred from Rio de Janeiro. The law's enactment took place within Brazil's presidential system of government, where the President serves as both head of state and head of government in a representative democracy. Brazil's government structure, established by the Constitution of Brazil effective October 5, 1988, divides power among executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) serving as the highest judicial authority.

### Subject Matter and Agricultural Scope
The law's digest explicitly states: "DISPÕE SOBRE O PAGAMENTO A LAVRADORES DE CANA QUE FORNEÇAM A USINAS DE AÇUCAR OU DESTILARIA E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS." This translates to provisions regarding payment to sugarcane farmers who supply sugar mills or distilleries. The statute addresses five specific subjects:
- **Reduction (Dedução)**: Establishing rules for deductions from payments
- **Decision/Fixation (Fixação)**: Setting mechanisms for price determination
- **Oversight (Fiscalização)**: Creating supervisory controls (represented by Q56353250 in knowledge systems)
- **Price (Preço)**: Regulating pricing structures for sugarcane
- **Payment (Pagamento)**: Defining payment terms and conditions

This focus on sugarcane farmers is significant within Brazil's agricultural economy, as Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugarcane and a major producer of sugar and ethanol derived from sugarcane.

### Publication and Digital Accessibility
The law was published in **Brasília** on June 15, 1962. Its official text is available in Brazilian Portuguese at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4071.htm, maintained by the Brazilian federal government's official portal. The law is also accessible through Brazil's LEXML system using the identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071. This digital availability reflects Brazil's commitment to public access to legal documents, consistent with the principle that statutes are public domain works under the edict of government doctrine, similar to practices in the United States and France where official legal documents are not copyrightable.

### Jurisdictional and Linguistic Context
The statute applies to the entire jurisdiction of **Brazil**, the largest country in South America with an area of 8,515,767 km² and a 2025 population of approximately 213.4 million. Brazil operates as a federal republic composed of 26 states plus the Federal District. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil and the most widely spoken language among its population. Brazil's legal system recognizes Brazilian Sign Language as an official language and is home to approximately 190 indigenous languages, though this statute is promulgated exclusively in Portuguese.

### Legal Framework and Classification
As a statute, Law No. 4071 is part of Brazil's statutory law system. It is classified within knowledge systems as an instance of the "statute" class, which is equivalent to the Schema.org Legislation class used in structured data on the web. The statute concept is globally recognized, with Wikipedia articles in over 100 languages and authority control identifiers including:
- Library of Congress Authority ID: sh85127611
- Bibliothèque nationale de France ID: 120485802
- National Library of Spain ID: XX528757
- German GND ID: 4020660-9

In Brazil's legal taxonomy, this statute functions as a federal law (lei federal) created through presidential promulgation, distinct from state or municipal legislation.

### Historical and Political Context
The law was enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, who served from 1961 to 1964, a period preceding Brazil's military rule from 1964 to 1985. At the time of promulgation, Brazil was governed under the system established by the 1946 Constitution, before the current 1988 Constitution created the Federative Republic of Brazil. The law predates Brazil's return to democratic governance and reflects the agricultural policy priorities of the early 1960s, when sugarcane production was becoming increasingly industrialized and mechanized.

### Documentation and Knowledge Management
Law No. 4071 is specifically tracked by **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a Wikimedia project focused on documenting Brazil's legislative framework. This inclusion indicates its relevance for legal research and historical documentation. The law's structured properties are cataloged in Wikidata with multiple references dating from 2021, including citations from the official Planalto government portal and LEXML system. The statute's main subjects are explicitly stated in these knowledge bases, enabling semantic search and legal analytics. The law is also referenced in Brazil's legislative database at https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4071&ano=1962&data=15/06/1962, providing multiple verification points for legal researchers.

### Public Domain and Access Rights
As an official Brazilian statute, Law No. 4071 is in the public domain, consistent with the edict of government doctrine that applies to legislative enactments in the United States and France. This status ensures that the text can be freely reproduced, distributed, and analyzed by farmers, legal practitioners, scholars, and the general public without copyright restrictions. The law's availability through official government URLs and its LEXML identifier further guarantees that citizens of Brazil's representative democracy have unrestricted access to the legal rules governing sugarcane commerce, supporting the rule of law and governmental transparency in a country that is a member of the United Nations, G20, and BRICS.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-06-15;4071)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4071&ano=1962&data=15/06/1962&ato=b5fkXS61kMVRVTb95)
3. LexML Brasil