# Law No. 7173 of December 14, 1983

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650138](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650138)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7173-of-december-14-1983

## Summary
Law No. 7173 of December 14, 1983, is a Brazilian federal statute that regulates the establishment and operation of zoos (jardins zoológicos) and provides for related legal provisions. Enacted during the presidency of João Figueiredo, it is formally titled "Lei nº 7173, de 14 de dezembro de 1983" and remains accessible through official Brazilian government portals.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 7173, de 14 de dezembro de 1983
- **Date of Publication:** December 14, 1983
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 7173/1983
- **Structured Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7173`
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President João Figueiredo (promulgated on 1983-12-14)
- **Official Text URL:** Available at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7173.htm`
- **Primary Subject Matter:** The establishment, functioning, and regulation of zoological gardens (jardins zoológicos).
- **Core Legal Subjects Addressed:** State territory (Territorio Nacional), competency (Competencia), import (Importação), transgression (Infração), legal norms (Normas), functioning (Funcionamento), purchasing (Aquisição), protection (Proteção), obligation (Obrigatoriedade), design requirements (Requisitos), international aspects (Exterior), hypothesis (Hipotese), and inscription (Inscrição).
- **Wikimedia Focus:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 7173/1983?**
The law's core purpose is to establish the legal framework for the creation, operation, and oversight of zoological gardens (jardins zoológicos) in Brazil. Its digest states it "DISPÕE SOBRE O ESTABELECIMENTO E FUNCIONAMENTO DE JARDINS ZOOLOGICOS E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS" (Provides for the establishment and functioning of zoos and other provisions).

**Who enacted Law No. 7173/1983 and when?**
The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically under President João Figueiredo, on December 14, 1983. It was published in the official gazette in Brasília.

**What specific regulatory areas does this law cover beyond zoo operations?**
Beyond zoo establishment and functioning, the law addresses a wide range of legal subjects including the import of animals, competency of authorities, protection measures, purchasing procedures, design requirements, obligations for compliance, procedures for transgression (violations), and rules applicable to the rest of the world (Exterior).

**Where can the full, authoritative text of this Brazilian law be found?**
The complete, official text of Law No. 7173/1983 is available online through the Brazilian federal government's legislative portal at `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7173.htm`, which is cited as its primary work available at URL.

**How is this law classified within legal and knowledge systems?**
It is classified as an instance of a "statute"—a formal written document that creates law. In structured data, it is linked to the concept of legislation and is part of the body of Brazilian statutory law, specifically federal legislation from 1983.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 7173/1983 matters as the foundational federal statute governing zoological institutions in Brazil. It established the first nationwide legal standards for animal welfare, facility requirements, and operational protocols for zoos, creating a uniform regulatory framework across the country's states and territories. By defining rules for animal importation, protection, and institutional obligations, it directly impacted wildlife conservation efforts, public education through zoos, and the ethical treatment of captive animals. Its provisions on transgression and legal norms provided enforcement mechanisms, making it a critical tool for federal and state environmental and agricultural authorities. As a piece of 1980s Brazilian legislation, it reflects the era's growing awareness of environmental and animal protection issues within a developing legal system.

## Notable For
- **Specific Regulatory Focus:** It is a dedicated federal statute solely focused on the comprehensive regulation of zoological gardens (jardins zoológicos).
- **Historical Context:** Enacted in 1983 during Brazil's military-to-democratic transition period, it represents a specific legislative response to the need for standardized animal exhibition and conservation practices.
- **Comprehensive Scope:** Notable for addressing a unusually broad array of legal subjects (at least 14 distinct concepts like import, protection, transgression) within a single, focused law.
- **Official Recognition:** Its inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its recognized importance within the corpus of national legislation.
- **Persistent Accessibility:** Its text has been maintained in the official, continuously updated compilation of Brazilian laws on the `planalto.gov.br` domain for decades.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Identity
Law No. 7173 of December 14, 1983, is formally classified as a **statute**. A statute is defined as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. As a statute, it is a concrete manifestation of statutory law, composed of legal norms, and is a subclass of "written work" and "document." This specific law is an *act* passed by the Brazilian legislature and approved by the executive. Its official identifiers are central to its identity: the LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7173` provides a persistent, structured identifier, while its legal citation is "Lei nº 7173/1983". The law's description in knowledge bases is simply "Brazilian law," and it is listed on the focus list of Wikimedia's WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its recognized importance in that specific legal corpus.

### Legislative History and Enactment
The law was **published on December 14, 1983**, in the nation's capital, **Brasília**. It was **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with the specific head of state at the time being **President João Figueiredo**. The method of enactment was **promulgation** on that date. This places it within the constitutional framework of Brazil's federal republic, where federal laws are created by the National Congress and sanctioned by the President. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies to the entire **jurisdiction of Brazil**. Its full text is officially archived and made publicly available by the federal government at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7173.htm`, which is part of the consolidated legislation compilation.

### Regulatory Scope and Subject Matter
The law's **primary subject** is the regulation of **zoological gardens (jardins zoológicos)**. Its digest explicitly states it "DISPÕE SOBRE O ESTABELECIMENTO E FUNCIONAMENTO DE JARDINS ZOOLOGICOS E DA OUTRAS PROVIDENCIAS." However, its structured data reveals a much broader and interconnected set of legal subjects it governs, which are presented as distinct values within its knowledge representation. These subjects, each stated with a Portuguese term in the source data, define the law's operational and legal universe:

*   **State Territory (Territorio Nacional):** The law's provisions apply within the national territory of Brazil.
*   **Competency (Competencia):** It defines the competencies and responsibilities of various authorities (likely federal, state, and municipal) regarding zoo oversight.
*   **Import (Importação):** It regulates the importation of animals into Brazil for zoo purposes.
*   **Transgression (Infração):** It defines violations of its provisions and likely stipulates penalties.
*   **Legal Norm (Normas):** It establishes specific legal norms and standards that must be followed.
*   **Functioning (Funcionamento):** It sets requirements for the day-to-day operation of zoos.
*   **Purchasing (Aquisição):** It may govern the acquisition of animals and other assets by zoos.
*   **Protection (Proteção):** It includes measures for the protection of animals, potentially covering welfare, habitat, and safety.
*   **Obligation (Obrigatoriedade):** It creates mandatory obligations for zoo operators and relevant authorities.
*   **Design Requirement (Requisitos):** It likely sets physical and operational design standards for zoo facilities.
*   **Rest of the World (Exterior):** It contains provisions related to international aspects, such as cooperation or compliance with international conventions.
*   **Hypothesis (Hipotese):** It defines the specific circumstances or conditions under which its rules apply.
*   **Inscription (Inscrição):** It probably requires zoos to register or inscribe themselves in an official registry.

This structure shows the law is not merely about zoo locations but is a complex regulatory instrument touching on administrative law, international trade, environmental protection, and public safety.

### Context within Brazilian Legal System
As a **federal statute** from 1983, Law 7173 exists within a specific historical layer of Brazilian legislation. It predates the current **Constitution of Brazil (1988)**, meaning its provisions must be interpreted in light of the constitutional principles that followed, particularly those regarding the environment (Art. 225) and animal protection (the 1988 Constitution prohibits cruel treatment of animals). It operates under the overarching framework of Brazilian statutory law, where federal laws like this one establish general norms that states and municipalities must follow or complement. Its focus on a specific economic and social activity (zoos) exemplifies the detailed regulatory output of the federal legislative branch. The law's continued presence on the official `planalto.gov.br` portal indicates it has not been fully revoked or replaced, though parts may have been updated by subsequent legislation or constitutional interpretation.

### Accessibility and Knowledge Representation
The law's **structured data properties** make it machine-readable and linkable within global knowledge graphs. Its **LexML Brazil ID** is a key identifier in Brazil's structured legislative data ecosystem. The property `work_available_at_url` points directly to its authoritative source. The `applies_to_jurisdiction` and `country` properties firmly locate it within Brazil. The extensive list of `main_subject` properties provides a granular, semantic map of its content for computational use. Its classification as an `instance_of: statute` connects it directly to the foundational legal concept described in the source material, linking this specific Brazilian law to the global abstract class of all statutes. This makes it discoverable alongside equivalent legislation from other countries through shared semantic classes like `schema.org/Legislation`.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1983-12-14;7173)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7173&ano=1983&data=14/12/1983&ato=0cfUTUE50dBpWT256)
3. LexML Brasil