# Law No. 7381 of October 15, 1985 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105649841](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649841) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7381-of-october-15-1985 ## Summary Law No. 7381 of October 15, 1985 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President José Sarney. Published in Brasília in Brazilian Portuguese, this legal document establishes determinations and penalties, including fines, and serves as a formal written manifestation of statutory law within the country's jurisdiction. ## Key Facts - **Official Title:** Lei nº 7381, de 15 de outubro de 1985 - **Date of Enactment:** October 15, 1985 - **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Approving President:** José Sarney (via promulgation) - **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federal) - **Place of Publication:** Brasília - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 7381/1985 - **LexML ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-10-15;7381 - **Main Subjects:** Determinação (Determination) and fine (Penalidade) - **Classification:** Instance of a statute (formal written document creating law) - **Copyright Status:** Public domain (edict of government doctrine) - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7381.htm - **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **Who enacted Law No. 7381 of 1985?** The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically through a promulgation determination method by President José Sarney on October 15, 1985. **What are the primary subjects covered by this law?** The main subjects of the law are "Determinação" (Determination) and "fine" (Penalidade), indicating the document establishes specific mandates and associated financial penalties. **Where can the official text of this law be found?** The work is available at the official URL of the Presidency of the Republic (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7381.htm) and is indexed under the LexML identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-10-15;7381`. **In what language and context was this law written?** The law is written in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, and was published in Brasília, the country's federal capital. **Is this law copyrighted?** No, as a statute and an official legal document of the Brazilian government, it is in the public domain under the edict of government doctrine, ensuring public accessibility. ## Why It Matters Law No. 7381 is significant as a legal instrument enacted during a critical transition period in Brazilian history, coinciding with the end of military rule in 1985 and the return to democratic governance. As a federal statute, it represents the formal exercise of government authority to create binding rules, specifically regarding determinations and fines, which are essential for enforcing compliance and order. The law's existence as a public domain document ensures that the legal mandates it contains are freely accessible to the Brazilian public, reinforcing principles of transparency and the rule of law during the country's re-democratization process. Furthermore, its inclusion in the LexML system and WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its role in the broader effort to standardize and preserve national legal metadata. ## Notable For - **Transition Era Legislation:** Enacted in 1985, the same year Brazil returned to democratic governance after decades of military rule. - **Sarney Administration:** Approved under President José Sarney, the first civilian president following the military dictatorship. - **LexML Standardization:** Indexed with a standardized LexML URN (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-10-15;7381`), facilitating interoperability in Brazilian legal information systems. - **Subject Specificity:** Explicitly categorizes "fine" (Penalidade) as a main subject, serving as a clear example of statutory penalty structures. - **Federal Jurisdiction:** Applies to the entire territory of Brazil, the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest nation in the world by area. ## Body ### Legal Classification and Nature Law No. 7381 of October 15, 1985 is classified as a **statute**, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule," it functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. Structurally, the law is composed of "legal norms" and serves as a tangible record of legal rules enacted by the government. Like other Brazilian statutes, it is considered to be in the public domain, based on the "edict of government doctrine," which establishes that official legal documents are not subject to copyright. This ensures that the text is freely owned and accessible by the public, reinforcing open government principles. ### Legislative Enactment and Authority The law was enacted through the legislative process and caused by a "legal act." It was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with the specific determination method recorded as "promulgation." The approval occurred on **October 15, 1985**, under the administration of President **José Sarney**. This date is historically significant as it marks the final year of Brazil's military dictatorship (1964–1985) and the re-establishment of democratic governance. The document was published in **Brasília**, the federal capital, which has served as the seat of government since April 21, 1960. ### Subject Matter and Scope The primary content of Law No. 7381 focuses on two main subjects identified in its metadata: - **Determinação (Determination):** Refers to the establishment of specific orders or mandates within the legal text. - **Fine (Penalidade):** Refers to the stipulation of financial penalties or sanctions for non-compliance. These subjects indicate that the law functions as a regulatory instrument designed to enforce specific behaviors through the imposition of fines. ### Identification and Metadata The law is extensively cataloged within legal information systems to ensure proper identification and retrieval: - **LexML ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-10-15;7381` - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 7381/1985 - **Official URL:** Hosted on the Presidency of the Republic's website (`https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7381.htm`) - **WikiProject:** Listed on the focus list of "WikiProject Brazilian Laws" The entity is also modeled in semantic web structures as an equivalent class to `https://schema.org/Legislation`, aligning it with global standards for legal data interchange. ### Jurisdictional Context This law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest nation in the world by area (approximately 8.5 million km²). Brazil operates as a federal republic with a presidential system and representative democracy. The official language of the jurisdiction, and thus the language of the law, is **Brazilian Portuguese**. The country's legal system is designed to uphold the Constitution of Brazil (effective October 5, 1988), which followed the era in which Law No. 7381 was enacted. As a federal statute, this law operates alongside the legislative functions of the National Congress of Brazil (Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies) and falls under the ultimate oversight of the Supreme Federal Court (STF). ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1985-10-15;7381) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7381&ano=1985&data=15/10/1985&ato=a2bMTU65keBpWT2f6)