# Law No. 7337 of July 8, 1985

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650262](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650262)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7337-of-july-8-1985

## Summary
Law No. 7337 of July 8, 1985 is a Brazilian federal statute that authorizes the transfer of a specific parcel of land back to the municipality of Jacarezinho in the state of Paraná. Promulgated during the presidency of José Sarney, this law represents a targeted legislative act addressing municipal land ownership within Brazil's federal system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 7337, de 8 de julho de 1985 (Law No. 7337 of July 8, 1985)
- **Type:** Federal statute (instance of "statute" as a formal written legal document)
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to the entire Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Primary Focus:** Authorization for land transfer to Jacarezinho municipality, Paraná state
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Promulgation:** José Sarney (served 1985-1990)
- **Promulgation Date:** July 8, 1985
- **Publication Location:** Brasília, Federal District
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation Format:** Lei nº 7337/1985
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-07-08;7337
- **Official Publication URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7337.htm
- **Main Subjects Covered:**
  - Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal)
  - Authorization processes (Autorização)
  - State of Paraná (Estado Do Parana)
  - Municipal governance (Municipio)
  - Specific land parcel (Terreno)
- **Classification:** Subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule" within legal taxonomy
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain in Brazil as an official government enactment
- **WikiProject Affiliation:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws
- **Source References:**
  - LexML Brazil (2021-01-28)
  - Presidency of Brazil legislation portal (2021-02-17)
  - Wikidata knowledge base

## FAQs

**What specific action does Law No. 7337 authorize?**
Law No. 7337 authorizes the reversal (transfer) of a specific parcel of land to the municipality of Jacarezinho in the state of Paraná. The law provides the legal framework for this municipal land acquisition, though the exact boundaries and characteristics of the terrain are referenced but not fully described in the available metadata.

**Who had the authority to approve this law?**
The law was promulgated by José Sarney during his presidency (1985-1990) as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil. As a federal law, it required presidential approval after passing through the legislative process in the National Congress of Brazil.

**What makes this law notable in Brazilian legal history?**
While not a sweeping reform, Law No. 7337 represents the granular nature of Brazilian federal legislation during the redemocratization period following military rule (1964-1985). It demonstrates how the federal government could intervene in municipal land matters through targeted statutory authorization.

**How does this law fit into Brazil's broader legal system?**
As a federal statute, this law operates within Brazil's civil law tradition and federalist structure. It serves as a specific manifestation of statutory law (direito estatutário) that modifies property relations between federal and municipal entities, consistent with the constitutional framework established by the 1988 Constitution (though predating it by three years).

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The complete text is available through multiple official channels: the Planalto Palace legislation portal (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7337.htm), the LexML Brazil legal information system, and the Presidency's legislation database. These platforms provide authoritative, public-domain versions of the law.

**What was the political context when this law was created?**
The law was promulgated during Brazil's transition from military dictatorship to democratic governance. José Sarney became president in 1985 as part of this transition, making this law one of the early legislative acts of the New Republic period that preceded the 1988 Constitution.

## Why It Matters

Law No. 7337 of 1985 matters as a microcosm of Brazil's federal-municipal relations and the legal mechanisms for land governance during a critical political transition. While not a landmark reform, it illustrates several important aspects of Brazilian governance:

1. **Federal-Municipal Land Relations:** The law demonstrates how Brazil's federal government can directly intervene in municipal land ownership through statutory authorization, showing the balance of power between federal and local authorities.

2. **Post-Dictatorship Legislation:** As one of the early laws of the New Republic period, it represents the resumption of civilian legislative processes after 21 years of military rule, marking a return to constitutional governance.

3. **Legal Precision in Land Matters:** The law shows Brazil's detailed approach to land governance, where even specific municipal land transfers require federal statutory authorization, reflecting the country's complex property law system.

4. **Public Domain Legal Framework:** As an official government enactment, the law exists in the public domain, ensuring transparency in land transactions between government levels—a principle that became constitutionally enshrined in 1988.

5. **Regional Development Tool:** For Jacarezinho and Paraná state, this authorization likely facilitated municipal planning and development by clarifying land ownership, showing how federal laws can enable local governance.

## Notable For

- **Targeted Municipal Authorization:** One of numerous Brazilian federal laws specifically authorizing land transfers to individual municipalities
- **Early New Republic Legislation:** Promulgated during José Sarney's presidency (1985-1990), marking the transition from military to civilian rule
- **Paraná State Focus:** Directly impacts the municipality of Jacarezinho in Paraná, demonstrating federal attention to regional land matters
- **Legal Taxonomy Example:** Classified as a "statute" within Brazil's legal system, serving as a concrete example of this legal document type
- **Public Domain Status:** As an official government enactment, it remains freely accessible without copyright restrictions
- **LexML Integration:** Cataloged in Brazil's national legal information system with permanent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-07-08;7337
- **Presidential Promulgation:** Directly approved by President José Sarney, showing the executive's role in federal legislation
- **Municipal Land Governance:** Illustrates the legal mechanisms for transferring federal land to municipal control in Brazil

## Body

### Legal Characteristics and Classification

Law No. 7337 of July 8, 1985 represents a specific instance of Brazilian statutory law. As a formal written document creating legal rules, it falls under the broader category of "statute" within legal taxonomy. This classification positions it as both a "written work" and a "rule" in knowledge organization systems.

The law's primary legal function is authorization—specifically granting permission for a land transfer to occur. This places it within the subset of Brazilian legislation dealing with property relations and municipal governance. The statute operates as a manifestation of Brazil's civil law tradition, where detailed statutory provisions govern specific administrative actions.

### Legislative Process and Approval

The law followed Brazil's federal legislative process, requiring approval from both houses of the National Congress (Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies) before presidential promulgation. José Sarney, serving as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, officially promulgated the law on July 8, 1985.

This promulgation occurred during a significant political transition. Sarney had assumed office in March 1985 as Brazil's first civilian president after 21 years of military rule, following the indirect election by an electoral college. The law thus represents legislation from the early period of Brazil's redemocratization.

### Geographic and Administrative Focus

Law No. 7337 specifically addresses land governance in Paraná state, one of Brazil's 26 states located in the southern region. The law focuses on Jacarezinho, a municipality within Paraná, demonstrating how federal legislation can target specific local administrative units.

The law's text authorizes the "reversão" (reversal/transfer) of a particular "terreno" (land parcel) to Jacarezinho's municipal government. While the exact boundaries and characteristics of this land are not specified in the available metadata, the law provides the legal framework for this transfer to occur.

### Legal Documentation and Accessibility

As an official government enactment, Law No. 7337 exists in the public domain under Brazilian law. Multiple authoritative sources provide access to the complete text:

1. **Planalto Palace Portal:** The official presidential website hosts the law at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7337.htm
2. **LexML Brazil:** The national legal information system assigns it the permanent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-07-08;7337
3. **Presidency Legislation Database:** Cataloged with reference code aecoXQ65keBpWT873

These platforms ensure the law remains permanently accessible to citizens, researchers, and legal professionals without copyright restrictions.

### Relationship to Brazil's Legal System

The law operates within Brazil's federalist legal framework, where both federal and state governments possess legislative authority. As a federal law, it takes precedence over state and municipal legislation in cases of conflict.

Law No. 7337 predates Brazil's current constitution (promulgated October 5, 1988) by three years. However, its provisions remain valid under the constitutional principle of received law, where pre-existing legislation continues in force unless specifically repealed or found unconstitutional.

The law's focus on municipal land transfer aligns with constitutional provisions regarding municipal autonomy and property rights, though these were more fully developed in the 1988 Constitution.

### Historical Context: Brazil in 1985

The law's promulgation occurred during a pivotal moment in Brazilian history. After 21 years of military dictatorship (1964-1985), Brazil was transitioning to democratic governance. José Sarney had become president in March 1985 following the death of elected president Tancredo Neves.

This period saw the restoration of civilian control over government institutions and the beginning of constitutional reforms that would culminate in the 1988 Constitution. Law No. 7337 represents the resumption of normal legislative processes addressing municipal governance needs.

### Administrative Implementation

As an authorization law, Law No. 7337 likely required additional administrative actions to fully implement the land transfer. The municipality of Jacarezinho would have needed to follow specific procedures to take possession of the land and incorporate it into municipal property records.

The law's implementation would have involved coordination between federal agencies (responsible for the original land ownership), Paraná state government, and Jacarezinho's municipal administration. This demonstrates the multi-level governance structure characteristic of Brazil's federal system.

### Comparison with Similar Legislation

Law No. 7337 belongs to a category of Brazilian federal laws that authorize specific land transfers to municipalities. Similar laws exist for other municipalities across Brazil, each requiring individual statutory authorization.

What distinguishes this particular law is its specific focus on Jacarezinho, Paraná, and its promulgation during the critical transition period from military to civilian rule. The law serves as an example of how Brazil's federal government can address localized land governance issues through targeted legislation.

### Current Status and Legal Effect

As of the available information (last referenced 2021), Law No. 7337 remains in force. Brazilian laws generally remain valid until explicitly repealed or declared unconstitutional.

The law continues to serve as the legal basis for the land transfer it authorized. Its provisions would be relevant for any legal disputes regarding the ownership or use of the transferred land parcel in Jacarezinho.

### Academic and Research Significance

Law No. 7337 holds value for researchers studying:
- Brazilian municipal land governance
- Federal-municipal relations in Brazil
- Legislative processes during the redemocratization period
- José Sarney's presidential administration
- Paraná state's administrative history

The law's inclusion in WikiProject Brazilian Laws indicates its recognition as part of Brazil's legislative history worthy of documentation and analysis.

### Digital Preservation and Access

The law benefits from Brazil's robust legal information infrastructure. Its inclusion in multiple digital repositories ensures long-term preservation and accessibility:

1. **LexML Brazil:** Provides machine-readable access and permanent identifiers
2. **Presidency Portal:** Offers official government publication with historical context
3. **Wikidata:** Enables semantic web integration and knowledge graph connections

These digital preservation efforts ensure the law remains accessible for future legal research and historical analysis.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-07-08;7337)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7337&ano=1985&data=08/07/1985&ato=aecoXQ65keBpWT873)
3. LexML Brasil