# Law No. 6980 of March 29, 1982

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650022](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650022)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6980-of-march-29-1982

## Summary
Law No. 6980 of March 29, 1982 is a Brazilian federal statute that amends specific provisions of Law 5.887 of May 31, 1973, which governs the legal regime for diplomats. Enacted during the presidency of João Figueiredo, this law modifies administrative rules related to diplomatic careers, the counting of service periods, and the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamarati).

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 6980, de 29 de março de 1982
- **Alias:** Lei nº 6980/1982
- **Publication Date:** March 29, 1982
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal law)
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Amends:** Law 5.887 of May 31, 1973 (which established the legal regime for diplomats)
- **Law Digest:** "ALTERA DISPOSIÇÕES DA LEI 5.887, DE 31 DE MAIO DE 1973, REFERENTES AO REGIME JURIDICO DO DIPLOMATA." (Alters provisions of Law 5.887, of May 31, 1973, concerning the legal regime of the diplomat.)
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President João Figueiredo, via promulgation on March 29, 1982.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** "Lei nº 6980/1982"
- **Persistent Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980`
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6980.htm
- **Wikimedia Focus:** Part of WikiProject Brazilian Laws.
- **Main Subjects:** Period of contribution ("Tempo De Serviço"), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil ("Itamarati (Mre)"), change ("Alteração"), counting ("Contagem"), career ("Carreira").

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 6980/1982?**
Its primary purpose is to alter specific provisions of the earlier Law 5.887/1973, which established the foundational legal framework for Brazil's diplomatic service. The 1982 law makes targeted modifications to that regime.

**What specific areas of diplomatic service does this law modify?**
The law modifies rules concerning the diplomatic career structure, the methods for counting periods of service ("tempo de serviço"), and administrative procedures within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamarati).

**Who was the head of state when this law was enacted?**
The law was promulgated on March 29, 1982, during the presidency of General João Figueiredo, the last president of Brazil's military government period.

**Where can the complete, official text of this law be accessed?**
The full text is available on the official Brazilian government legislative portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6980.htm, which is cited as the source for its structured metadata.

**How is this Brazilian law formally cited in legal contexts?**
In Brazilian legal citation, this statute is referenced as "Lei nº 6980/1982," combining its sequential number with the year of enactment.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6980/1982 is a significant administrative amendment within Brazil's framework for managing its diplomatic corps. By altering the 1973 law that defined the diplomatic career, it directly impacted the rules for calculating service time, career progression, and the internal administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamarati). Such modifications are crucial for the operational and personnel management of a nation's foreign service, affecting the rights, duties, and professional trajectories of Brazilian diplomats. As a federal statute, it represents the formal exercise of legislative authority to refine the legal structures underpinning Brazil's international relations and diplomatic representation. Its existence and specific focus on "counting" and "career" highlight the ongoing legislative attention required to maintain a functional and equitable system for civil servants in a sensitive and strategic area of government.

## Notable For
- **Targeted Amendment:** It is a specific, subsequent amendment to the foundational Law 5.887/1973, which originally structured Brazil's diplomatic service.
- **Administrative Focus:** The law is notably focused on the mechanics of a diplomatic career, specifically the "counting" of "periods of contribution" (service time) and career regulations.
- **Persistent Digital Identifier:** It has been assigned a stable LexML Brazil identifier (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980`), ensuring reliable digital reference and access.
- **Systematic Documentation:** Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates its recognition and systematic archiving within a collaborative effort to document the nation's legislation.
- **Presidential Era:** It is a legislative product of the final years of Brazil's military government (1964-1985), enacted under President João Figueiredo.

## Body

### Legislative Identification and Metadata
This entry documents the Brazilian federal statute officially titled **Lei nº 6980, de 29 de março de 1982**. It is formally cited as "Lei nº 6980/1982". The law was **promulgated on March 29, 1982**, in **Brasília**, the federal capital. Its **LexML Brazil persistent identifier** is `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980`. The **official, authoritative text** is published on the Brazilian presidential legislative portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l6980.htm`. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies to the **jurisdiction of Brazil**. In knowledge systems, it is **classified as an instance of a "statute"**—a formal written document that creates law. It is part of the curated scope of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**.

### Legal Context and Substance
The core substantive purpose of Law No. 6980/1982 is to **alter provisions of Law 5.887, of May 31, 1973**. Law 5.887/1973 is the foundational statute that established the "Regime Jurídico do Diplomata" (Legal Regime for Diplomats). Therefore, Law 6.980/1982 is an **amending statute** that makes specific changes to that pre-existing legal framework. Its **law digest** explicitly states this intent: "ALTERA DISPOSIÇÕES DA LEI 5.887, DE 31 DE MAIO DE 1973, REFERENTES AO REGIME JURIDICO DO DIPLOMATA."

The law's **primary subjects** are concentrated on the administrative and career mechanics of the diplomatic service:
*   **Career ("Carreira"):** It modifies rules pertaining to the structure and progression of the diplomatic career.
*   **Counting ("Contagem"):** It changes how specific periods of service ("Tempo De Serviço") are calculated or recognized.
*   **Period of Contribution ("Tempo De Serviço"):** This directly relates to the accrual and valuation of time served in the diplomatic career, which affects benefits, seniority, and retirement.
*   **Ministry of Foreign Affairs ("Itamarati (Mre)"):** The changes impact the administrative authority and procedures of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the body responsible for managing the diplomatic corps.
*   **Change ("Alteração"):** This is the general action performed by the statute upon the 1973 law.

### Legislative Process and Authority
The law was **approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The **determination method** was **promulgation**, and the **point in time** of this executive action was **March 29, 1982**. The **person holding the office** of President at the time of promulgation was **João Figueiredo**. This places the law's enactment within the final phase of Brazil's military government (1964-1985), before the promulgation of the current democratic constitution in 1988.

### Jurisdictional and Linguistic Scope
The law **applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil**. It is a **federal statute**, meaning it was enacted by the National Congress and applies uniformly across the entire national territory. The **language of the work or its name** is **Brazilian Portuguese**, which is the official language of the federation and the language of all federal legislation.

### Digital Accessibility and Structured Data
The law is integrated into Brazil's **LexML system**, a standard for the identification and interoperability of legal information, via its unique `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980` identifier. This ensures it can be reliably cited and located in digital legal databases. Its canonical online location is the **Planalto government portal**, which hosts the consolidated text of Brazilian laws. For structured data and knowledge graph purposes, it is typed as an **instance of a statute** and is linked to the broader concept of legislation. Its **legal citation** follows the standard Brazilian format of "Lei nº [number]/[year]".

### Documentation and Archival Recognition
The law has been identified and is under the scope of **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative Wikimedia initiative focused on improving the coverage and quality of articles related to Brazilian legislation. This indicates its recognized importance within the ecosystem of documented national laws. Its structured properties—including the precise law digest, subjects, and identifiers—have been extracted and validated against the official source (`https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980`), with reference dates in early 2021.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-03-29;6980)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6980&ano=1982&data=29/03/1982&ato=656kXUE9ENrRVTd40)
3. LexML Brasil