# Law No. 4118 of August 27, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648286](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648286)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4118-of-august-27-1962

## Summary
Law No. 4118 of August 27, 1962 (Portuguese: Lei nº 4118, de 27 de agosto de 1962) is a Brazilian federal statute that established the country's National Policy on Nuclear Energy and created the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). Promulgated by President João Goulart, this legislation regulates nuclear energy matters within the jurisdiction of Brazil and serves as a foundational legal framework for the nation's nuclear sector.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4118, de 27 de agosto de 1962
- **Date of Promulgation:** August 27, 1962
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (President João Goulart)
- **Type of Legal Instrument:** Statute (federal law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4118/1962
- **Main Subjects:** Regulamentation (Regulation), Creation, Competency
- **Law Digest/Summary:** "DISPÕE SOBRE A POLITICA NACIONAL DE ENERGIA NUCLEAR CRIA A COMISSÃO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA NUCLEAR E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS" (Provides for the National Policy on Nuclear Energy, Creates the National Nuclear Energy Commission, and provides for other measures)
- **Lexml Brazil URN:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-08-27;4118
- **Official Publication Place:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Official Text URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4118.htm
- **Classification:** Instance of a statute; subclass of written work, document, and rule

## FAQs

**What did Law No. 4118 of 1962 establish?**
Law No. 4118 established Brazil's National Policy on Nuclear Energy and created the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), the primary regulatory body for nuclear energy in Brazil.

**Who signed Law No. 4118 into force?**
The law was promulgated by President João Goulart on August 27, 1962, through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

**Where can the official text of Law No. 4118 be found?**
The official text is available at the Brazilian Presidency's legislative portal (https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/) and the Planalto website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4118.htm), with the URN identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-08-27;4118 in the Lexml Brazil system.

**What are the main regulatory subjects of this law?**
The law addresses three primary subjects: regulamentation (establishing regulatory frameworks), creation (establishing entities like CNEN), and competency (defining powers and responsibilities).

**What type of legal document is Law No. 4118?**
It is a federal statute (law) of Brazil, classified as a formal written document that creates law. It functions as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms within the Brazilian legal system.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4118 of August 27, 1962, is a cornerstone of Brazilian nuclear policy, representing the country's formal entry into the organized governance of nuclear energy. By establishing the National Policy on Nuclear Energy and creating the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), this legislation provided the institutional and regulatory framework necessary for Brazil to develop, control, and oversee its nuclear sector. This was particularly significant during the early 1960s, a period when many nations were beginning to explore nuclear technology for both energy and scientific purposes.

The creation of CNEN under this law centralized authority over nuclear activities, ensuring that Brazil could maintain safety standards, conduct research, and engage in international nuclear cooperation with a unified national approach. The law's focus on regulamentation, creation, and competency underscores its role in defining the legal powers and responsibilities of nuclear governance. As a federal statute, it holds the weight of statutory law in Brazil, binding all relevant public and private entities to its provisions. Its existence also reflects Brazil's commitment to sovereign control over nuclear technology, a matter of national security and technological independence.

## Notable For
- **Foundational Nuclear Legislation:** Established Brazil's first comprehensive legal framework for nuclear energy policy.
- **Creation of CNEN:** Founded the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), the entity responsible for nuclear regulation, research, and safety in Brazil.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of João Goulart, a period of significant political and social change in Brazil.
- **Regulatory Scope:** Addresses three major legal subjects: regulamentation (regulation), creation (of institutions), and competency (jurisdictional powers).
- **Official Identifier:** Holds a unique URN (Uniform Resource Name) in the Lexml Brazil system: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-08-27;4118, ensuring standardized legal citation.
- **Public Accessibility:** The full text is publicly available online via the official Brazilian government portal, reflecting the principle that statutes are public domain documents.
- **Federal-Level Statute:** As a federal law, it applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil, overriding any conflicting state or local regulations on nuclear matters.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 4118 of August 27, 1962, is formally classified as a **statute** (Portuguese: *estatuto* or *lei*), which is a formal written document that creates law. In the hierarchy of legal instruments, it is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and is a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and is composed of legal norms. Its creation was caused by the act of legislation, and it resulted in statutory law within the Brazilian legal system.

Statutes, including Law No. 4118, are generally in the public domain in Brazil (as they are in the United States and France), meaning they are not subject to copyright restrictions. This is based on the principle that official legal documents must be freely accessible to the public. The law is recognized as an "equivalent class" to `https://schema.org/Legislation` in semantic web and knowledge graph structures.

### Promulgation and Authority
The law was promulgated on **August 27, 1962**, by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The head of state at the time was **President João Goulart**, who served as the promulgating authority. The place of publication was **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. The law's official legal citation is **Lei nº 4118/1962**, and it is also known by the alias **Lei nº 4118, de 27 de agosto de 1962**.

### Subject Matter and Purpose
The law digest summarizes its purpose as: **"DISPÕE SOBRE A POLITICA NACIONAL DE ENERGIA NUCLEAR CRIA A COMISSÃO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA NUCLEAR E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS"** (English: "Provides for the National Policy on Nuclear Energy, Creates the National Nuclear Energy Commission, and provides for other measures").

The law's main subjects are categorized into three areas:
1.  **Regulamentation (Regulation):** Establishes the regulatory frameworks and rules governing nuclear energy in Brazil.
2.  **Creation:** Provides for the establishment of entities, most notably the **National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN)** (Portuguese: *Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear*).
3.  **Competency:** Defines the jurisdictional powers, duties, and responsibilities related to nuclear energy governance.

### Official Identifiers and Availability
Law No. 4118 is indexed and accessible through several official systems:

-   **Lexml Brazil URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-08-27;4118` - This Uniform Resource Name provides a unique and persistent identifier for the law within Brazil's legal information system.
-   **Official Web URL:** The full text is available at the Brazilian Presidency's official legislative portal: `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l4118.htm`.
-   **WikiProject Brazilian Laws:** The law is listed on the Wikimedia project's focus list for Brazilian legislation, indicating its relevance for structured knowledge curation.

### Jurisdiction and Language
The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil** (the Federative Republic of Brazil), a federal republic located in South America. Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world by area and had a population of approximately 213.4 million as of 2025. The official and working language of the law is **Brazilian Portuguese**, reflecting the country's linguistic heritage as a former Portuguese colony that gained independence on September 7, 1822.

### Related Legal Concepts and Global Context
As a statute, Law No. 4118 is part of the broader global concept of statutory law. Statutes are the primary instruments through which government authority is formally exercised and recorded. They ensure that legal mandates are documented, accessible, and enforceable. In the context of knowledge organization, statutes are cataloged under systems like the Dewey Decimal (342.057, 348.02) and assigned authority IDs by major libraries. Law No. 4118's existence as a federal statute places it within this global tradition of formal, written law-making, serving as the tangible manifestation of Brazil's nuclear energy policy.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-08-27;4118)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4118&ano=1962&data=27/08/1962&ato=e3aAzY61kMVRVT23d)
3. LexML Brasil