# Law No. 6437 of August 20, 1977

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105659710](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105659710)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6437-of-august-20-1977

## Summary
**Law No. 6437 of August 20, 1977** (Lei nº 6.437) is a Brazilian federal statute that defines infractions against federal sanitary legislation and establishes the corresponding legal sanctions. Promulgated by President Ernesto Geisel in Brasília, the law serves as a regulatory framework for public health enforcement across all Brazilian federative units. It functions as a formal written document creating statutory law, accessible officially via the LexML and Planalto government portals.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 6.437, de 20 de agosto de 1977 (Law No. 6437 of August 20, 1977).
- **Classification:** Instance of a **statute** (a formal written document that creates law).
- **Promulgation Date:** August 20, 1977.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically President **Ernesto Geisel**.
- **Primary Function:** Configures infractions against federal sanitary legislation and establishes respective sanctions (penalties).
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to **Brazil**, including its States (federative units), the Federal District (Distrito Federal), and Federal Territories.
- **Publication Location:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 6437/1977.
- **Unique Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1977-08-20;6437`.
- **Official URL:** Available at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l6437.htm`.

## FAQs
**What is the specific purpose of Law No. 6437/1977?**
The law serves to define violations (infractions) of federal sanitary legislation and to establish the specific sanctions, such as fines, for these violations. It provides the legal basis for enforcing health standards across Brazil.

**Who signed Law No. 6437 into force?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, acting under President Ernesto Geisel, on August 20, 1977.

**What is the legal status of this document?**
It is classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a government edict, it functions as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms applicable to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil.

**Where can the official text of Law No. 6437 be found?**
The full text is available in Brazilian Portuguese on the official Brazilian government legal portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l6437.htm` and is indexed under the LexML identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1977-08-20;6437`.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6437/1977 matters because it provides the structural enforcement mechanism for federal sanitary standards in Brazil. By clearly defining what constitutes a sanitary infraction and establishing the penalties (sanctions) for such transgressions, the law bridges the gap between health regulation and legal consequence. It empowers the Ministry of Health and federal authorities to maintain public health safety through a codified process of classification, definition, and penalization. As a statute, it represents the tangible manifestation of statutory law, ensuring that federal health directives are not merely advisory but legally enforceable with specific economic and administrative consequences.

## Notable For
- **Sanitary Regulation:** Notable for being the definitive legal instrument that configures infractions against federal sanitary legislation in Brazil.
- **Enforcement Framework:** Establishes the specific sanctions and penalties (including fines) applicable to health violations.
- **Historical Context:** Represents a legislative act from the administration of President Ernesto Geisel during the period of military rule in Brazil (1964–1985).
- **Comprehensive Application:** Explicitly extends its application across diverse political subdivisions, including States, the Federal District, and Federal Territories.
- **Standardization of Procedures:** Codifies the administrative procedures, processes, and definitions required to impose legal penalties for health-related offenses.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 6437 of August 20, 1977, is an instance of a **statute**, defined formally as a written document that creates law. As a statute, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and functions as a formal record of legal rules enacted by the Brazilian government. It is classified as a legal term or legal concept and is a subclass of a written work, document, and rule. The law was created through legislation and is composed of legal norms.

### Historical and Political Context
The statute was approved on August 20, 1977, during a significant period in Brazilian history. It was promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** under the administration of President **Ernesto Geisel**. This era (1964–1985) was marked by military rule, during which the executive branch wielded substantial authority over legislative processes. The law was published in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil, which had been established as the seat of government in 1960.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The primary objective of Law No. 6437 is to regulate sanitary compliance. According to its legal digest, its function is to "CONFIGURA INFRAÇÕES A LEGISLAÇÃO SANITARIA FEDERAL, ESTABELECE AS SANÇÕES RESPECTIVAS, E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS" (Configure infractions to federal sanitary legislation, establish respective sanctions, and provide other measures).

The statute covers a broad range of operational and legal concepts, including:
- **Regulatory Actions:** Regulation, definition, classification, and application of legal norms.
- **Enforcement:** Transgression (infraction), penalties (fines/multa), and the decision-making process (fixation).
- **Administrative Structure:** Competency and procedures relevant to the **Ministry of Health of Brazil** (Ministerio Da Saude).
- **Jurisdictional Application:** The law explicitly applies to the **Federal District**, **Federative units of Brazil** (States), and **Federal Territories**.

### Geographic and Cultural Context
The law applies to the **Federative Republic of Brazil**, the largest country in South America. Brazil operates as a federal republic with Portuguese as its official language; consequently, the language of this work is **Brazilian Portuguese**. The country is subdivided into 26 states, one Federal District (Brasília), and municipalities, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of federal sanitary laws like this one. Brazil shares borders with ten countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela) and covers approximately 8.5 million km².

### Identification and Access
The law is indexed and accessible through several official identifiers and channels:
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1977-08-20;6437`.
- **Official URL:** The full text is hosted on the Brazilian Presidency's legislative portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l6437.htm`.
- **Legal Citation:** Standard citation format is **Lei nº 6437/1977**.
- **WikiProject:** It is on the focus list of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance in structured knowledge management of legal systems.

### Technical Properties
The entity is associated with specific structured data properties:
- **Instance Of:** Statute
- **Country:** Brazil
- **Main Subjects:** Economic value, competency, process, procedure, classification, transgression, legal norm, fine, legislation, and definition.
- **References:** The data is verified by sources such as the Brazilian LexML system (`https://www.lexml.gov.br`) and the Presidency's legislative archive.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1977-08-20;6437)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6437&ano=1977&data=20/08/1977&ato=4ado3ZE9UNnRVT7ca)
3. LexML Brasil