# Law No. 4392 of August 31, 1964 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105648350](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648350) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4392-of-august-31-1964 ## Summary **Law No. 4392 of August 31, 1964** (Lei nº 4392, de 31 de agosto de 1964) is a Brazilian federal statute enacted during the early period of Brazil's military government. Promulgated by President Castelo Branco in Brasília, the law addresses matters related to debt, the Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), and legislative changes. It is classified as a formal written statute and remains accessible through Brazil's official legal repositories. ## Key Facts - **Full Title:** Lei nº 4392, de 31 de agosto de 1964 - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4392/1964 - **Enactment Date:** August 31, 1964 - **Promulgated By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President Castelo Branco - **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil - **Jurisdiction:** Brazil - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law) - **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4392 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4392.htm - **Main Subjects:** Debt (Dívida), Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal), Legislation (Legislação), Change (Alteração) - **WikiProject Affiliation:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What is Law No. 4392 of August 31, 1964?** It is a Brazilian federal statute enacted on August 31, 1964, addressing legal matters concerning debt, the Federal Government of Brazil, and legislative modifications. The law was promulgated by President Castelo Branco in Brasília. **Who approved and promulgated this law?** The law was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically under President Castelo Branco, on August 31, 1964. **Where can the full text of this law be accessed?** The official text is available through Brazil's Planalto Palace website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4392.htm and is indexed under the LexML Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4392. **What legal subjects does this law address?** The law's main subjects include debt (referred to as "Dívida" in Portuguese), the Federal Government of Brazil ("União Federal"), legislation ("Legislação"), and changes or modifications ("Alteração") to existing legal frameworks. **What type of legal instrument is this law?** Law No. 4392 is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and functions as an official record of legal rules enacted by the Brazilian federal government. ## Why It Matters Law No. 4392 of August 31, 1964 represents a piece of Brazilian federal legislation enacted during a pivotal period in the country's history—the early years of the military dictatorship that began with the 1964 coup d'état. Promulgated by President Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, who served as the first military president from 1964 to 1967, this law forms part of the legal framework established during Brazil's authoritarian period. The law's focus on debt and the Federal Government of Brazil places it within the context of the military regime's economic and administrative reforms. During this era, the Brazilian government implemented significant changes to fiscal policy, government structure, and legal frameworks to consolidate control and modernize the state apparatus. Laws addressing debt and federal government operations were instrumental in reshaping Brazil's financial and administrative systems. As a statute, this law exemplifies the formal legislative process in Brazil, where legal instruments are promulgated by the Presidency and published in the capital, Brasília. Its inclusion in the LexML Brazil system—a standardized identifier framework for Brazilian legal documents—ensures its preservation and accessibility for legal professionals, researchers, and citizens. The law's availability through official government channels reflects Brazil's commitment to maintaining transparent legal archives, even for legislation from politically sensitive periods. The law's classification under WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates ongoing scholarly and community interest in documenting and preserving Brazil's legislative history, making it a subject of continued research and reference in legal and historical contexts. ## Notable For - **Historical Context:** Enacted during the early military dictatorship period in Brazil, just months after the April 1964 coup that overthrew President João Goulart - **Presidential Promulgation:** One of numerous statutes promulgated by President Castelo Branco during his tenure as Brazil's first military president - **Capital Publication:** Published in Brasília, which had been established as Brazil's federal capital just four years earlier in 1960 - **LexML Integration:** Assigned a standardized LexML Brazil identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4392), enabling precise legal citation and digital access - **Multi-Subject Scope:** Addresses multiple legal domains including debt, federal government operations, and legislative modifications - **Digital Accessibility:** Fully accessible through Brazil's official Planalto Palace website, ensuring public access to historical legislation - **WikiProject Documentation:** Recognized by WikiProject Brazilian Laws as a subject of encyclopedic and legal documentation interest ## Body ### Legislative Classification and Definition Law No. 4392 of August 31, 1964 is formally classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law. In the Brazilian legal system, statutes serve as the concrete manifestation of statutory law, functioning as official records of legal rules enacted by the federal government. This law follows the naming convention for Brazilian federal legislation, identified by its sequential number (4392) and date of enactment (August 31, 1964). As a statute, the law possesses characteristics common to this class of legal instruments: - It is a written document that creates binding legal rules - It operates as a manifestation of statutory law within Brazil's civil law system - It is composed of legal norms that form part of the broader framework of Brazilian legislation - It is in the public domain as an official government document, consistent with copyright principles that exempt edicts of government from copyright protection ### Promulgation and Presidential Authority The law was **promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with President **Castelo Branco** serving as the authorizing authority. Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco was a military officer who assumed the presidency following the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, serving from April 15, 1964, until March 15, 1967. The promulgation date of **August 31, 1964** places this law within the first year of Castelo Branco's administration, a period marked by extensive legislative activity as the military government consolidated power and implemented its policy agenda. The determination method was recorded as "promulgation," indicating the formal process by which the President gave legal force to the legislation. ### Publication and Jurisdiction The law was published in **Brasília**, Brazil's federal capital. Brasília had been inaugurated as the capital on April 21, 1960, making this law one of thousands of federal statutes published in the new capital during its early years. The city's selection as the place of publication reflects its status as the seat of all three branches of Brazil's federal government. The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil** as a whole, consistent with its status as federal legislation. Brazilian federal laws have nationwide application, binding all states, municipalities, and federal districts within the national territory. ### Subject Matter and Legal Scope The law addresses four main subjects, each identified in its official documentation: 1. **Debt (Dívida):** The law deals with matters related to debt, though the specific nature and extent of these provisions require examination of the full legislative text. 2. **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The law concerns the federal government itself, potentially addressing administrative, financial, or operational aspects of the central government. 3. **Legislation (Legislação):** The law relates to legislative matters, suggesting it may modify, establish, or clarify aspects of Brazil's legal framework. 4. **Change (Alteração):** The law involves changes or modifications, indicating it may amend existing legislation or legal procedures. ### Official Identifiers and Access The law is indexed through multiple official identification systems: - **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4392` — This standardized Uniform Resource Name enables precise citation and retrieval within Brazil's legal information infrastructure. LexML Brazil is a national project that provides unique identifiers for Brazilian legal documents. - **Legal Citation:** `Lei nº 4392/1964` — The standard abbreviated citation format used in Brazilian legal practice. - **Official URL:** The full text is accessible at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4392.htm`, hosted by the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic (CCivil) through the Planalto Palace website. ### Language and Form The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil. As a federal statute, it follows the formal linguistic and structural conventions of Brazilian legislative drafting. The law is part of the collection of federal legislation from the 1950-1969 period maintained by Brazil's federal government archives. ### Historical and Political Context Law No. 4392 was enacted during the early period of Brazil's **military dictatorship** (1964-1985). The 1964 coup d'état, which occurred on March 31-April 1, 1964, established a military junta that would govern Brazil for 21 years. President Castelo Branco, the law's promulgator, was the first of five military presidents during this period. The year 1964 saw extensive legislative activity as the new regime instituted its governance framework. Laws from this period often reflected the military government's priorities regarding national security, economic development, administrative centralization, and political control. The law's focus on debt and federal government matters suggests it may relate to the regime's economic and fiscal policies during this transitional period. ### Connection to Brazilian Legal Infrastructure The law exists within Brazil's comprehensive legal documentation system: - **Planalto Portal:** The law is hosted on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, ensuring authoritative access to the legislative text. - **LexML Integration:** The law's inclusion in the LexML Brazil system connects it to a network of legal documents with standardized identifiers, facilitating legal research and cross-referencing. - **WikiProject Brazilian Laws:** The law is documented under this Wikimedia project, indicating community efforts to create comprehensive encyclopedic coverage of Brazilian legislation. ### Statutory Characteristics As a statute, Law No. 4392 shares characteristics with its legal instrument class: - **Public Domain Status:** Like all statutes, the law is not subject to copyright protection under the edict of government doctrine, ensuring public accessibility. - **Written Documentation:** The law exists as a formal written document, distinguishing it from unwritten legal customs or judicial decisions. - **Legislative Origin:** The law resulted from the legislative process, created through the established procedures for enacting federal legislation in Brazil. - **Binding Force:** As a statute, the law creates binding legal rules applicable within its jurisdictional scope. ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1964-08-31;4392) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4392&ano=1964&data=31/08/1964&ato=ca6kXV65UNVRVT2e4)