# Law No. 4197 of December 24, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648414](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648414)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4197-of-december-24-1962

## Summary

Law No. 4197 of December 24, 1962 (Portuguese: Lei nº 4197, de 24 de dezembro de 1962) is a Brazilian federal statute promulgated during the presidency of João Goulart. The law, officially classified as a statute and published in Brasília, addresses the subject of "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension) and applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil.

## Key Facts

- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4197, de 24 de dezembro de 1962
- **Alternative Citation:** Lei nº 4197/1962
- **Promulgation Date:** December 24, 1962
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating Authority:** João Goulart (President of Brazil)
- **Determination Method:** Promulgation
- **Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Main Subject:** Pensão Especial (Special Pension) — Wikidata entity Q105766456
- **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-24;4197
- **Official Source URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4197.htm
- **Project Listing:** On focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law

## FAQs

**What is Law No. 4197 of December 24, 1962?**
It is a Brazilian federal statute promulgated on December 24, 1962, during the presidency of João Goulart. The law is officially classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates legal norms—and addresses the subject of "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension).

**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 December 24, 1962. The promulgation was recorded as the official determination method.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available through the Brazilian government's Planalto portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4197.htm and is indexed under the LexML Brazil identifier system.

**What type of legal document is this?**
It is classified as a "statute" (statute), which is a formal written document that creates law. Statutes encompass acts passed by legislatures and serve as manifestations of statutory law, composed of legal norms.

## Why It Matters

Law No. 4197 of December 24, 1962 represents a specific instance of Brazilian federal legislation enacted during a pivotal period in the country's political history—the presidency of João Goulart, which immediately preceded the 1964 military coup that established a 21-year dictatorship. As a statute, it serves as a concrete manifestation of statutory law, creating legal norms that apply throughout Brazilian jurisdiction. The law's main subject matter, "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension), indicates it addresses social welfare provisions, likely establishing or regulating special pension arrangements for particular categories of beneficiaries. The statute's preservation in official government databases and its inclusion in the LexML Brazil system ensures continued accessibility for legal professionals, historians, and citizens seeking to understand the evolution of Brazilian social legislation. The law exemplifies the formal legislative process in Brazil, demonstrating how legal norms are created, documented, and maintained as part of the country's legal framework. Its publication in Brasília—the new capital inaugurated just two years earlier in 1960—places it within the early legislative output of Brazil's planned federal district.

## Notable For

- **Historical Period:** Enacted during the João Goulart presidency (1961-1964), a politically significant era immediately preceding Brazil's military dictatorship
- **Subject Matter:** Addresses "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension), relating to social welfare provisions
- **Legal Documentation:** Indexed in the LexML Brazil system with standardized identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-24;4197
- **Federal Legislation:** Classified as a federal statute with nationwide jurisdiction throughout Brazil
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Listed on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating relevance for legal documentation projects
- **Capital City Publication:** Published in Brasília, which had become Brazil's capital just two years earlier in April 1960
- **End-of-Year Promulgation:** Signed into law on December 24, 1962 (Christmas Eve), reflecting end-of-year legislative activity
- **Authoritative Preservation:** Maintained in official Brazilian government legal databases with references from both LexML and the Presidency's legislative portal

## Body

### Official Identification and Citation

Law No. 4197 of December 24, 1962 bears the full Portuguese title "Lei nº 4197, de 24 de dezembro de 1962" and is alternatively cited as "Lei nº 4197/1962." The law is indexed in Brazil's official legal documentation system under the LexML Brazil identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-24;4197`. This standardized identifier facilitates precise legal referencing and ensures the document can be reliably located within Brazil's legislative corpus. The law is classified in Wikidata and legal databases as a "statute," which represents a formal written document that creates law.

### Promulgation and Authorization

The statute was promulgated on December 24, 1962, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with President João Goulart serving as the promulgating authority. The determination method is explicitly recorded as "promulgation" in legal records, with documentation references from February 17, 2021, accessed via the Presidency's legislative portal. This places the law within the broader context of the Goulart administration—a politically turbulent period in Brazilian history characterized by significant social and political tensions that would eventually culminate in the military coup of March 1964.

### Jurisdiction and Language

Law No. 4197/1962 applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil as a federal statute. The official language of the document is Brazilian Portuguese, consistent with Brazil's status as the largest Portuguese-speaking nation in the world. As a federal law, it carries binding authority throughout all states and the Federal District of Brazil, superseding any conflicting state or municipal regulations within its subject matter domain. The jurisdictional scope is confirmed by LexML Brazil records accessed January 28, 2021.

### Subject Matter and Content

The main subject of Law No. 4197/1962 is identified as "Pensão Especial" (Special Pension), corresponding to the Wikidata entity Q105766456. This designation indicates that the law addresses specific pension or retirement benefit provisions, likely establishing or regulating special pension arrangements for particular categories of beneficiaries. In Brazilian legal context, "Pensão Especial" typically refers to extraordinary pension provisions that differ from standard retirement benefits. As a statute, the document contains legal norms that establish rights, obligations, or regulatory frameworks related to this subject matter. The subject classification was confirmed through LexML references accessed April 6, 2021.

### Legal Classification and Nature

As a statute, Law No. 4197/1962 belongs to the category of formal written documents that create law. In legal taxonomy, statutes are classified as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," serving as manifestations of statutory law. The creation of statutes follows draft laws and is caused by the legislative process. Statutes in Brazil, as in many jurisdictions including the United States and France, are generally considered public domain documents under the "edict of government doctrine"—freely accessible to all citizens under the principle that laws governing the public must be owned by the public. The statute classification was confirmed through LexML Brazil records.

### Accessibility and Official Sources

The complete text of Law No. 4197/1962 is accessible through official Brazilian government channels. The primary official source is hosted by the Planalto Palace's Civil House (Civil Section) at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4197.htm`. This digital publication ensures public accessibility to the legal text, consistent with the principle of open access to legislation. The law is also referenced in the LexML Brazil system—a legal information markup language standard that provides a standardized framework for identifying and exchanging legal documents within Brazil's legal information infrastructure. References confirming the official sources were accessed on February 17, 2021.

### Documentation and Project Status

Law No. 4197/1962 is included on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its recognition within collaborative knowledge documentation initiatives focused on Brazilian legal materials. This inclusion suggests that the law has been identified as significant enough to warrant detailed documentation and analysis within legal knowledge bases. The references supporting information about this law derive from authoritative Brazilian government sources, including the LexML portal (referenced January 28, 2021) and the Presidency's legislative database (referenced February 17, 2021). The place of publication—Brasília—is confirmed through LexML records.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-12-24;4197)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4197&ano=1962&data=24/12/1962&ato=570oXVE5kMVRVT54b)