# Law No. 437-a of October 16, 1948

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649798](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649798)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-437-a-of-october-16-1948

## Summary
**Law No. 437-a of October 16, 1948** (Portuguese: *Lei nº 437-a, de 16 de outubro de 1948*) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to authorize a special budgetary adjustment. Promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, it specifically opens an extraordinary credit ("Crédito Especial") for the Ministry of War to cover payments related to teaching activities, including salaries and teaching gratuities.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 437-a, de 16 de outubro de 1948
- **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written law)
- **Date of Enactment:** October 16, 1948
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Primary Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (*Crédito Especial*)
- **Beneficiary Entity:** Ministry of War of Brazil (*Ministério da Guerra*)
- **Purpose:** To cover expenses for teaching staff (*Professor*) and educational institutions (*Estabelecimento de Ensino*), including overdue payments (*Vencimentos*) and teaching gratuities (*Gratificação de Magistério*).
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 437-a/1948
- **LexML Brazil URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-10-16;437-a`
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Wikidata Project:** Part of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What was the primary purpose of Law No. 437-a?**
The law authorized a special budgetary credit for the Ministry of War of Brazil. Its specific objective was to provide funds for the payment of teaching-related expenses, including overdue salaries and teaching gratuities for educational institutions under the ministry's jurisdiction.

**Which government authority approved this law?**
The law was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil on October 16, 1948.

**To which jurisdiction does this law apply?**
Law No. 437-a applies to the Federative Republic of Brazil and was published in Rio de Janeiro, which was the federal capital at the time of enactment.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 437-a of October 16, 1948, is a concrete example of post-World War II Brazilian administrative law, illustrating the mechanisms of federal budget execution during the era of the Fourth Brazilian Republic (1946–1964). It demonstrates how the executive branch utilized "special credits" (*Crédito Especial*) to address unforeseen or specific financial needs within government ministries—in this case, the Ministry of War.

The law is particularly notable for its specific focus on educational funding within a military context. By allocating resources for "teaching gratuities" (*Gratificação de Magistério*) and salaries for teachers and educational institutions, it highlights the administrative interconnection between the military and educational sectors in 1948 Brazil. For legal researchers and historians, the statute serves as a primary source for studying the financial operations of the extinct Ministry of War and the development of public education policy within military institutions. Its existence is preserved and indexed through the LexML Brazil system, ensuring its accessibility for legal citation and historical analysis.

## Notable For
- **Administrative Specificity:** Targets a very specific administrative need—teaching expenses within the Ministry of War—rather than broad legislative reform.
- **Historical Context:** Reflects the bureaucratic structure of 1948 Brazil, referencing the Ministry of War, which was later replaced by the Ministry of the Army and is now the Ministry of Defence.
- **Budgetary Mechanism:** Exemplifies the use of a "Special Credit" (*Crédito Especial*), a financial instrument for supplementary appropriations outside the standard annual budget.
- **Capital Publication:** Published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital of Brazil until 1960.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully indexed in the official LexML Brazil legal information system with a unique Uniform Resource Name (URN).

## Body

### Legal Identity and Classification
Law No. 437-a is classified as a **statute** (*statute*), defined as a formal written document that creates law. It is an instance of a legal term and concept, functioning as a manifestation of statutory law. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," it represents the physical or formal expression of a legal norm.

The law is identified by its full title, **Lei nº 437-a, de 16 de outubro de 1948**, and is legally cited as **Lei nº 437-a/1948**. It is composed of legal norms and is considered a part of the broader concepts of law and legal acts. Its creation was caused by the act of legislation, following the stage of draft laws.

### Subject Matter and Function
The **main subject** of Law No. 437-a is a **special budgetary adjustment** (*Credito Especial*). The law's core function was to authorize funds for the **Ministry of War of Brazil** (*Ministerio Da Guerra*). This financial allocation was designated for a specific set of purposes related to education within the ministry:
-   **Educational Institutions** (*Estabelecimento De Ensino*)
-   **Teachers/Professors** (*Professor*)
-   **Overdue Payments** (*Vencimentos*)
-   **Teaching Gratuities** (*Gratificação De Magisterio*)
-   **Payment** (*Pagamento*)
-   **Executive Branch** (*Executivo*) operations

This statute represents a financial transaction from the executive branch to settle obligations, specifically focusing on the "payment" of "overdue" funds to teaching staff within the military's educational system.

### Origin and Authority
The statute was **approved by** the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** (*Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil*) through the method of **promulgation** on **October 16, 1948** (point_in_time: 1948-10-16).

**Geographical and Political Context:**
-   **Country:** Brazil (*origin: Brazil*)
-   **Jurisdiction:** Applies to the country of **Brazil** (*applies_to_jurisdiction: Brazil*).
-   **Place of Publication:** The law was published in **Rio de Janeiro** (*Rio de Janeiro*), which was the federal capital and a major urban center in Brazil at that time.
-   **Language:** The official text is in **Brazilian Portuguese** (*Brazilian Portuguese*).

### Digital Identifiers and Authority Control
The law is indexed in modern knowledge systems with the following properties:
-   **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-10-16;437-a`
-   **WikiProject:** It is on the focus list of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance to collaborative legal knowledge curation.
-   **Structured Data:** The entity is modeled with properties such as **P17 (country)** and **P1001 (applies to jurisdiction)**, pointing to Brazil. Its **language of work or name** is Brazilian Portuguese.

### Related Concepts and Definitions
**Statute:** As a general concept, a **statute** is a formal written document that creates law, including acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It is a foundational legal term, classified as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." In copyright terms, statutes are generally in the public domain in jurisdictions like the United States (per the "edict of government doctrine") and France, as they are official legal documents not subject to copyright. This concept is equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class in structured data.

**Brazil:** The statute originates from **Brazil** (*Brazil*), the largest country in South America. At the time of the law's enactment in 1948, Brazil was a federal republic operating under the 1946 Constitution. The country, a member of the United Nations since 1945, is characterized by its Portuguese as the official language and its federal presidential system of government.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-10-16;437-a)