# Law No. 7172 of December 14, 1983

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650197](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650197)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7172-of-december-14-1983

## Summary
Law No. 7172 of December 14, 1983 is a Brazilian federal statute that grants the privilege of special imprisonment (prisão especial) to teachers of primary and secondary education (ensino de 1 e 2 graus). Officially promulgated by President João Figueiredo and published in Brasília, it functions as a formal written document of statutory law applicable throughout Brazil. The law is legally cited as Lei nº 7172/1983 and is accessible via the official Planalto government portal.

## Key Facts
- **Title:** Lei nº 7172, de 14 de dezembro de 1983
- **Short Title/Citation:** Lei nº 7172/1983
- **Also Known As:** Lei nº 7172, de 14 de dezembro de 1983
- **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Date of Promulgation:** December 14, 1983
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgated By:** João Figueiredo
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal level)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Main Subject:** Granting of privilege (Concessão); Teachers (Professor)
- **Digest/Summary:** "OUTORGA A REGALIA DA PRISÃO ESPECIAL AOS PROFESSORES DO ENSINO DE 1 E 2 GRAUS." (Grants the prerogative of special imprisonment to teachers of 1st and 2nd grade education)
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7172
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7172.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 7172/1983?**
This statute specifically grants the legal privilege of "special imprisonment" (prisão especial) to teachers working in primary and secondary education (referred to in Brazil at the time as 1st and 2nd grade education).

**Who approved and enacted this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and was promulgated by President João Figueiredo on December 14, 1983.

**Where does this law apply and where can it be accessed?**
The law applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil and was published in Brasília. The full text is available online at the official Planalto government website.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 7172 of December 14, 1983 is significant as it formalizes a specific legal prerogative—special imprisonment—for a distinct professional class within the Brazilian education system. By granting "prisão especial" to primary and secondary teachers, the statute acknowledges a distinct status for educators within the legal framework, affording them different treatment within the penal system should they face detention. As a federal statute enacted during Brazil's military government period, it serves as a concrete example of how professional privileges were codified into national law, and remains a part of the corpus of Brazilian statutory law accessible through modern legal databases like Lexml and the Planalto archive.

## Notable For
- **Specific Professional Privilege:** Specifically targets teachers of 1st and 2nd grade education (primary and secondary levels) for a distinct legal benefit.
- **Legal Concept of "Prisão Especial":** Explicitly utilizes the legal mechanism of "special imprisonment," a prerogative granted to certain individuals based on social position, education, or public function.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the final years of the Brazilian military government (under President João Figueiredo), reflecting the legal priorities of that era.
- **Part of Federal Statutory Law:** Functions as a formal instance of a statute (statute), the foundational legal document type in Brazilian law.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully integrated into modern Brazilian legal indexing systems (Lexml) and accessible via the official government portal (Planalto).

## Body

### Legal Classification and Structure
Law No. 7172 of December 14, 1983, is formally classified as a **statute**. In the context of legal terminology, a statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It serves as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms. As an instance of this class, Lei nº 7172 follows the standard legislative process, having been promulgated as a formal act of the federal government. It is categorized under the broader concepts of "written work," "document," and "rule," distinguishing it as the physical or formal expression of a legal rule rather than an abstract legal theory.

### Origin and Promulgation
The statute was created through the legislative authority of the **Federative Republic of Brazil**. The approval and enactment were carried out by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with the specific determination method being **promulgation**. The key figure responsible for this act was **João Figueiredo**, who served as the President at the time.

The law was officially published on **December 14, 1983**, in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil. This date marks its entry into the legal system. The language of the document is **Brazilian Portuguese**, consistent with all federal legislation in the country.

### Subject Matter and Scope
The core content of Law No. 7172 is captured in its official digest: "OUTORGA A REGALIA DA PRISÃO ESPECIAL AOS PROFESSORES DO ENSINO DE 1 E 2 GRAUS." This translates to the granting of the prerogative or privilege of **special imprisonment** to **teachers** (professors) of primary and secondary education (1st and 2nd grades).

The statute's main subjects are identified as:
- **Granting/Concession (Concessão):** The act of bestowing this right.
- **Teacher (Professor):** The beneficiary of the legal privilege.

This law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** at the federal level, meaning its provisions are valid throughout the national territory. It targets a specific professional demographic within the Brazilian education system active in the 1980s.

### Context of the Enacting Nation
At the time of this law's enactment, **Brazil** was a federal republic operating under a military regime that had been in power since 1964. João Figueiredo was the last president of this military period, overseeing a transition towards democracy that would culminate in the return to civilian rule in 1985 and the promulgation of a new Constitution in 1988. The country is the largest in South America, with Portuguese as its official language. Brazil's legal system is based on civil law, where statutes (leis) are primary sources of law, enacted by the National Congress and sanctioned by the President.

### Identification and Access
The law is indexed and accessible through several official identifiers and digital platforms:
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7172`. This URN (Uniform Resource Name) provides a standardized, unique identifier for the legal document within the Brazilian legislative information system.
- **Legal Citation:** The standard legal citation for this text is **Lei nº 7172/1983**.
- **Official URL:** The full text of the law is hosted on the official website of the Planalto Palace (the seat of the executive branch) at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7172.htm`. This ensures public accessibility to the legal document.
- **WikiProject:** The law is tracked and curated within **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its relevance in structured knowledge projects and legal databases.

These properties ensure that Law No. 7172 is preserved as part of the public record, maintaining its status as a public domain document that contributes to the body of statutory law governing Brazilian society.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7172)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7172&ano=1983&data=14/12/1983&ato=321QTUE50dBpWT4c2)
3. LexML Brasil