# Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647950](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647950)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4295-of-december-16-1963

## Summary

Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963 (Lei nº 4295/1963) is a Brazilian federal law that estimates the revenue and fixes the expenses of the Union (federal government) for the fiscal year 1964. Promulgated by President João Goulart on December 16, 1963, this statute represents a formal budgetary law enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. It is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law—and serves as an official record of the federal government's financial planning for the 1964 fiscal year.

## Key Facts

- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4295, de 16 de dezembro de 1963
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4295/1963
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Publication Date:** December 16, 1963
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President:** João Goulart (at time of promulgation)
- **Determination Method:** Promulgation
- **Instance Of:** Statute
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Applies To Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **LEXML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-12-16;4295
- **Main Subject:** Budget (Orçamento), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Financial Year (Exercicio Financeiro)
- **Law Digest:** "ESTIMA A RECEITA E FIXA A DESPESA DA UNIÃO PARA O EXERCICIO FINANCEIRO DE 1964" (Estimates the revenue and fixes the expenses of the Union for the fiscal year 1964)
- **Official Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4295.htm

## FAQs

**What is Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963?**

Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963 is a Brazilian federal law (Lei nº 4295/1963) that serves as the annual budget law for the Federal Government of Brazil. It formally estimates the revenue and fixes the expenditure of the Union for the fiscal year 1964, making it a fundamental piece of Brazil's budgetary legislation.

**Who promulgated Law No. 4295/1963?**

The law was promulgated by President João Goulart, who served as President of Brazil from 1961 to 1964. The promulgation occurred on December 16, 1963, in Brasília, which had been Brazil's capital since 1960.

**What is the subject matter of Law No. 4295/1963?**

The law's primary subject is the federal budget (Orçamento) of Brazil. Specifically, it addresses the financial planning of the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal) for the fiscal year 1964 (Exercicio Financeiro de 1964). The law digest summarizes its purpose as estimating revenue and fixing expenses for the Union.

**Is Law No. 4295/1963 still in effect?**

This entry does not provide information about the current legal status of Law No. 4295/1963. Annual budget laws in Brazil are typically superseded by subsequent yearly budget legislation, but the original text remains part of the federal legal corpus.

**Where can Law No. 4295/1963 be accessed?**

The official text of Law No. 4295/1963 is available through the Brazilian government legislation portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4295.htm and through the LEXML legal database under the identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-12-16;4295.

## Why It Matters

Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963 matters as a historical document of Brazilian fiscal governance during a significant period in the nation's history. Enacted during President João Goulart's administration—a period marked by political turbulence leading to the military coup of 1964—this law represents the formal mechanism through which the federal government planned to allocate resources for the 1964 fiscal year.

As a statute, this law embodies the concept of statutory law in Brazil, serving as the written manifestation of a legal rule enacted by governmental authority. The law demonstrates how the Brazilian federal system operates through formal written documents that create binding legal obligations, specifically regarding the estimation of government revenue and authorization of government expenditure.

The law also reflects the broader context of Brazilian budgetary legislation, which follows the constitutional requirement that the federal government annually estimate its revenue and fix its expenses through formal legislative acts. This process ensures democratic oversight of government finances and represents a fundamental principle of public finance management in Brazil's federal republic.

Furthermore, as a public domain legal document, Law No. 4295/1963 exemplifies the principle that statutes are official legal documents that should be accessible to the public without copyright restrictions, ensuring transparency in government financial planning.

## Notable For

- **Historical Significance:** Represents Brazilian federal budgeting during the João Goulart administration, just prior to the 1964 military coup
- **Budgetary Function:** Establishes the formal process of estimating revenue and fixing expenses for the Federal Government of Brazil for fiscal year 1964
- **Legal Classification:** Classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law—serving as an instance of statutory law
- **Official Publication:** Published in Brasília on December 16, 1963, during Brazil's period as the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Public Accessibility:** Available through official government portals as a public domain legal document
- **Part of Brazilian Legal Corpus:** Indexed in the LEXML Brazilian legal database with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-12-16;4295

## Body

### Legislative Context and Purpose

Law No. 4295 of December 16, 1963 was enacted as part of Brazil's annual budgetary legislative process. The law's formal title, "ESTIMA A RECEITA E FIXA A DESPESA DA UNIÃO PARA O EXERCICIO FINANCEIRO DE 1964," directly translates to "Estimates the revenue and fixes the expenses of the Union for the fiscal year 1964." This type of legislation represents the annual budget law (Lei Orçamentária Anual) that authorizes the federal government's spending for the specified fiscal year.

In Brazil's federal system, budget laws are essential legislative instruments that formalize the government's financial planning. These laws must be passed by the National Congress of Brazil and promulgated by the President to become effective. Law No. 4295/1963 follows this established process, representing the formal authorization of federal government expenditure for 1964.

### Promulgation and Authority

The law was promulgated by President João Goulart on December 16, 1963. João Goulart served as President of Brazil from 1961 to 1964, a period characterized by significant political tension between leftist and conservative forces in Brazilian politics. The promulgation occurred in Brasília, which had become Brazil's new capital on April 22, 1960, replacing Rio de Janeiro.

The determination method listed as "promulgation" indicates that the law was formally ratified and made official by the President, completing the legislative process. This distinguishes it from laws that might have been vetoed or that required other forms of legislative approval.

### Classification and Legal Nature

Law No. 4295/1963 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. This classification places it within the broader category of legal instruments that include acts, executive orders, and by-laws. As a statute, it represents the concrete manifestation of statutory law in Brazil, serving as the official record of a legal rule enacted by governmental authority.

The law is an instance of "statute" and relates to the broader legal concept of "legal norm." It is part of the written body of Brazilian law and serves as an official legal document that citizens, government officials, and courts can reference. Statutes like Law No. 4295/1963 are considered public domain documents in many jurisdictions, including Brazil, ensuring public access to the legal framework governing society.

### Subject Matter and Content

The primary subjects of Law No. 4295/1963 include:

- **Budget (Orçamento):** The law addresses the federal budget, which is the formal plan for government revenue and expenditure
- **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The law applies to the federal level of Brazilian government, as distinguished from state or municipal governments
- **Financial Year (Exercicio Financeiro):** The law specifically covers the fiscal year 1964, establishing the budget period

The law digest provides the essential purpose: estimating revenue that the federal government expected to receive and authorizing the expenses the government would incur during 1964. This dual function of estimating revenue and fixing expenses represents the core purpose of annual budget legislation.

### Official Sources and Identification

Law No. 4295/1963 is identified through multiple reference systems:

- **LEXML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-12-16;4295—the official identifier in Brazil's legal XML database
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4295/1963—the standard abbreviated reference used in legal documents
- **Official Portal:** The law is available at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4295.htm, the official website of the Brazilian Presidency

### Historical Context

Enacted on December 16, 1963, Law No. 4295/1963 represents Brazilian federal budgeting during a pivotal historical moment. The law was passed during João Goulart's presidency, which began in 1961 after Jânio Quadros resigned and continued through a period of intense political polarization. Less than four months after this law was promulgated, the military coup of March 31, 1964 would overthrow Goulart's government, beginning 21 years of military rule in Brazil.

This historical context makes Law No. 4295/1963 a document from the final year of Brazil's pre-military period, representing the continuity of normal governmental functions—including annual budget legislation—until the political transition.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts

As a statute, Law No. 4295/1963 relates to several broader legal concepts:

- **Statutory Law:** The law represents statutory law in action—rules created through formal legislative processes rather than through judicial decisions or executive action alone
- **Legal Norm:** The law contains legal norms that govern the financial behavior of the federal government
- **Legislation:** The law was created through the legislative process, following the drafting of budget proposals and passage by the National Congress
- **Public Law:** As a law governing government finance, it represents public law—law that governs the state and its relationship with citizens

### Accessibility and Public Domain

Like other Brazilian statutes, Law No. 4295/1963 is available as a public document. The official text can be accessed through government portals, reflecting the principle that legal documents creating binding obligations on citizens should be publicly accessible. This transparency ensures that individuals can understand the legal framework governing government revenue and expenditure, supporting democratic accountability.

### Connection to Brazilian Legal System

Law No. 4295/1963 exists within the larger corpus of Brazilian federal law. It is part of the sequence of annual budget laws that have been enacted since Brazil's republican period began in 1889. The Constitution of Brazil (currently the 1988 constitution, though previous constitutions were in effect in 1963) establishes the requirement for annual budget laws, and Law No. 4295/1963 fulfills this constitutional requirement for the 1964 fiscal year.

The law's classification as a statute connects it to the broader category of formal written documents that create law, encompassing acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws. This classification system helps organize Brazilian law into categories that facilitate legal research, interpretation, and application.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1963-12-16;4295)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4295&ano=1963&data=16/12/1963&ato=d38MTQ650MVRVT849)
3. LexML Brasil