# Law No. 4094 of July 14, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648314](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648314)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4094-of-july-14-1962

## Summary
Law No. 4094 of July 14, 1962 (Lei nº 4094, de 14 de julho de 1962) is a Brazilian federal statute that modifies paragraph 1 of article 168 of the Civil Procedure Code (Decree-Law 1.608 of September 18, 1939). Promulgated by President João Goulart on July 14, 1962, in Brasília, this legislation pertains to civil procedure in Brazil and represents a formal amendment to the country's existing procedural legal framework.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 4094, de 14 de julho de 1962
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4094/1962
- **Publication Date:** July 14, 1962
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Country/Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Entity Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Approving Official:** João Goulart (by promulgation)
- **Main Subject:** Civil procedure in Brazil ( Código de Processo Civil)
- **Legislative Action:** Change/modification (Alteração)
- **Modified Legislation:** Decree-Law 1.608 of September 18, 1939 (specifically paragraph 1 of article 168)
- **Lexml Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-07-14;4094
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4094.htm
- **Wikimedia Project Affiliation:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What does Law No. 4094 of July 14, 1962 modify?**
The law modifies paragraph 1 of article 168 of the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code, which was originally established by Decree-Law 1.608 of September 18, 1939. It represents a specific legislative amendment rather than a comprehensive new statute.

**Who approved and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President João Goulart on July 14, 1962, during his tenure as head of state.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text of Law No. 4094/1962 is available through the Brazilian government's official portal at the Planalto Presidency website (planalto.gov.br) and is indexed under the Lexml Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-07-14;4094.

**What type of legal instrument is this?**
Law No. 4094/1962 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates or modifies law. Statutes are foundational legal concepts that serve as manifestations of statutory law and are generally in the public domain.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4094 of July 14, 1962, represents an important modification to Brazil's Civil Procedure Code during a significant period in the country's legal and political development. As an amendment to Decree-Law 1.608 of 1939 (the Civil Procedure Code that governed Brazilian civil litigation for decades), this statute contributed to the ongoing refinement of procedural rules that govern how civil cases are conducted in Brazilian courts.

The law was promulgated during the presidency of João Goulart (1961-1964), a period marked by significant political and social change in Brazil, just two years before the 1964 military coup. Modifications to civil procedure during this era reflect the government's efforts to modernize and adjust legal mechanisms to meet evolving societal needs.

As a statute, this law exemplifies the formal legislative process in Brazil, where modifications to existing legal codes must be enacted through official promulgation by the Presidency. Its inclusion in the Lexml Brazil system and WikiProject Brazilian Laws underscores its status as part of the official, documented legal heritage of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

## Notable For
- **Civil Procedure Amendment:** Specifically modifies paragraph 1 of article 168 of Brazil's Civil Procedure Code from 1939
- **João Goulart Era Legislation:** Promulgated during the presidency of João Goulart, a pivotal figure in Brazilian history whose government ended with the 1964 military coup
- **Federal Statute Classification:** Classified as a formal statute (statutory law manifestation) under Brazilian legal taxonomy
- **Official Digital Preservation:** Indexed in the Lexml Brazil system with persistent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-07-14;4094
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its relevance for systematic documentation of Brazilian legislation
- **Public Domain Status:** As a statute/official legal document, it falls under public domain provisions applicable to government edicts

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Classification

Law No. 4094 of July 14, 1962, is formally titled "Lei nº 4094, de 14 de julho de 1962" in Brazilian Portuguese. It is classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates or modifies law. In legal taxonomy, a statute is defined as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," serving as the concrete manifestation of statutory law.

The statute's legal citation format is "Lei nº 4094/1962," following the standard Brazilian convention for referencing federal laws. It applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil and was published in the Portuguese language (specifically Brazilian Portuguese).

### Substantive Content and Purpose

According to the law digest recorded in official sources, Law No. 4094's purpose is stated as: "MODIFICA O PARAGRAFO 1 DO ARTIGO 168 DO CODIGO DO PROCESSO CIVIL (DECRETO-LEI 1.608, DE 18 DE SETEMBRO DE 1939)."

This translates to: "Modifies paragraph 1 of article 168 of the Civil Procedure Code (Decree-Law 1.608 of September 18, 1939)."

The main subjects of the legislation are identified as:
- **Civil procedure in Brazil** (stated as "Codigo De Processo Civil")
- **Change or modification** (stated as "Alteração")

This indicates that Law No. 4094 was an amending statute rather than original legislation, designed to update or correct specific provisions within Brazil's existing civil procedural framework.

### Historical and Political Context

The law was promulgated on **July 14, 1962**, during a significant period in Brazilian history. The approving authority was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **João Goulart** serving as the promulgating president.

This places the law within the political context of early 1960s Brazil, during Goulart's presidency (1961-1964). Goulart's administration preceded the military dictatorship that began with the 1964 coup. The capital at the time was Brasília, which had become the federal capital on April 22, 1960—just two years before this law's promulgation.

### Publication and Official Records

The law's publication details include:
- **Publication Date:** July 14, 1962
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Federal District, Brazil

The statute is indexed in the **Lexml Brazil** system—a national system for identifying and exchanging legislative documents—under the persistent identifier: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-07-14;4094`

This Uniform Resource Name (URN) follows the Lexml standard format, encoding:
- Country: Brazil (br)
- Level: Federal (federal)
- Type: Law (lei)
- Date: 1962-07-14
- Number: 4094

### Digital Accessibility

The official text of Law No. 4094/1962 is available at:
- **Planalto Presidency Website:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4094.htm
- **Legislative Reference:** https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4094&ano=1962&data=14/07/1962&ato=357ITU61kMVRVTefb

The Planalto URL indicates the law is cataloged among Brazilian federal laws from the 1950-1969 period, archived under the Civil House (Casa Civil) section of the presidency's website.

### Related Legal Instruments

**Decree-Law 1.608 of September 18, 1939**
This is the primary legislation modified by Law No. 4094. The Decree-Law 1.608 established Brazil's Civil Procedure Code (Código de Processo Civil), which governed civil litigation proceedings in Brazilian courts. Law No. 4094 specifically targeted paragraph 1 of article 168 within this code.

The relationship demonstrates the amendatory nature of Brazilian legislation, where subsequent laws modify specific provisions of earlier legal instruments rather than replacing entire codes.

### Jurisdictional Scope

Law No. 4094 applies to the entire **Federative Republic of Brazil**. As federal legislation, it has nationwide application across all 26 states and the Federal District (Distrito Federal). The law's jurisdiction is recorded as applying to "Brazil" without regional or sectoral limitations.

### Statutory Classification and Copyright Status

As a **statute**, Law No. 4094 belongs to a category of legal instruments that includes acts, executive orders, and by-laws. Statutes are characterized as:
- Formal written documents that create law
- Manifestations of statutory law
- Composed of legal norms
- Preceded by draft laws in the legislative process

Regarding intellectual property, statutes in Brazil (similar to the United States and France under "edict of government doctrine") are generally considered **public domain**. Official legal documents such as legislative enactments are not subject to copyright restrictions, ensuring public accessibility to laws that govern society.

### Documentation and Knowledge Organization

Law No. 4094 is associated with **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its inclusion in systematic efforts to document and structure information about Brazilian legislation on Wikimedia projects. This affiliation ensures the law is represented in knowledge bases and accessible for research and reference purposes.

The Wikidata description for this entity is recorded simply as "Brazilian law," reflecting its fundamental classification as a legal instrument of Brazilian origin.

### Legislative Process Context

The promulgation method is recorded as "promulgation" by the Presidency, with João Goulart identified through the qualifier property P1891 (officeholder). This indicates the law went through the formal constitutional process of presidential approval and official announcement required for federal legislation in Brazil.

The references supporting the law's documentation include:
- Lexml Brazil (accessed 2021-01-28)
- Presidency Legislative Portal (accessed 2021-02-17)
- Brazilian legal database sources (accessed 2021-04-06 and 2021-04-10)

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-07-14;4094)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4094&ano=1962&data=14/07/1962&ato=357ITU61kMVRVTefb)
3. LexML Brasil