# Law No. 4166 of December 4, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648432](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648432)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4166-of-december-4-1962

## Summary
Law No. 4166 of December 4, 1962 (Lei nº 4166/1962) is a Brazilian statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President João Goulart. Approved and published on December 4, 1962, in Brasília, the legislation primarily concerns civil procedure in Brazil, specifically involving alterations to the "Codigo De Processo Civil." As a formal written document, it functions as a manifestation of statutory law within the country's federal legal system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4166, de 4 de dezembro de 1962
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4166/1962
- **Instance Of:** Statute (Brazilian law)
- **Date of Approval:** December 4, 1962
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Promulgation)
- **Approving President:** João Goulart
- **Main Subject:** Civil procedure in Brazil (specifically the "Codigo De Processo Civil") and change ("Alteração")
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília
- **Publication Date:** December 4, 1962
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-04;4166
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4166.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** Listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the primary subject of Law No. 4166/1962?**
This law focuses on civil procedure within the Brazilian legal system, specifically addressing changes to the "Codigo De Processo Civil" (Code of Civil Procedure).

**Who enacted Law No. 4166/1962?**
The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil through a determination method of promulgation by President João Goulart on December 4, 1962.

**Where was this law published?**
The law was published in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil, on December 4, 1962.

**How can the official text of the law be accessed?**
The full text is available at the official URL provided by the Brazilian government: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4166.htm.

**Is this law copyrighted?**
As a statute, it is an official legal document generally considered to be in the public domain, particularly under the "edict of government doctrine," ensuring public accessibility to the legal text.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4166/1962 matters as a specific instrument of legal modification within the Brazilian judicial system. By targeting the "Codigo De Processo Civil," the statute directly influences the framework of civil procedure, dictating how legal processes are conducted and rights are adjudicated in Brazil. Its enactment during the presidency of João Goulart places it within the historical and political context of the early 1960s in Brazil. Furthermore, as a statute, it represents the foundational method by which the Brazilian government records and enforces statutory law, ensuring that legal norms are formally documented and available to the public in the official language of Brazilian Portuguese.

## Notable For
- Being a federal statute enacted during the presidency of João Goulart.
- Specifically addressing modifications to the "Codigo De Processo Civil" (Code of Civil Procedure).
- Publication in Brasília, the capital of Brazil since 1960.
- Inclusion in the WikiProject Brazilian Laws focus list.
- Possessing a standardized LexML Brazil ID (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-04;4166`) for legal referencing.

## Body

### Legal Definition and Classification
Law No. 4166 of December 4, 1962, is classified as a **statute**, a legal term defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it falls under the subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," and serves as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. Unlike abstract legal concepts, a statute is the tangible record of legal rules enacted by a government authority. This classification places Law No. 4166 within the broader category of legislative acts, which includes acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws. Structurally, it is composed of "legal norms" and results from the process of legislation, following the creation of draft laws.

### Enactment and Authority
The law was formally approved on **December 4, 1962**, by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific determination method used for this approval was **promulgation**, a formal act that declares a law to be in force. The sitting president at the time of enactment was **João Goulart**, under whose authority the law was sanctioned. The legislative action taken by the presidency serves as the "legal act" that caused the statute to come into existence, distinguishing it from the broader concept of "legislation" as the process itself.

### Subject Matter and Jurisdiction
The primary subject of Law No. 4166/1962 is **Civil procedure in Brazil**. The law is explicitly associated with the "Codigo De Processo Civil" (Code of Civil Procedure) and is categorized under the subject of "Alteração" (Change), indicating that its function is to modify or amend existing civil procedure codes. The statute applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, a federal republic and the largest country in South America. The official language of the document is **Brazilian Portuguese**, reflecting the linguistic standard of the country's legal and governmental operations.

### Publication and Accessibility
The statute was published on **December 4, 1962**, in the city of **Brasília**, which has served as the capital of Brazil since April 21, 1960. The document is accessible through an official work URL hosted by the Brazilian government (`https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4166.htm`). To ensure precise identification and referencing within legal databases, the law has been assigned the **LexML Brazil ID**: `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-04;4166`. Like most official legal documents in jurisdictions such as Brazil, the United States, and France, the text of the statute is considered to be in the **public domain**. This status, supported by the "edict of government doctrine," ensures that the law is not subject to copyright, allowing unrestricted access for the public.

### National Context and Identifiers
As a federal law of Brazil, Law No. 4166/1962 operates within the sovereign state of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**. Brazil is a presidential representative democracy with a legal system that utilizes statutes as the primary instruments for recording and enforcing laws. The law is tracked within the ecosystem of Wikimedia projects as part of the **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, highlighting its relevance to the documentation of the country's legal history. The statute's unique identifiers, including its specific LexML URN and official citation (Lei nº 4166/1962), integrate it into the global knowledge graph and library systems, facilitating its retrieval and study alongside other legislative acts.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-04;4166)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4166&ano=1962&data=04/12/1962&ato=d5akXSE5kMVRVTf80)