# Law No. 8991 of February 24, 1995 > Brazilian law **Wikidata**: [Q105647560](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647560) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-8991-of-february-24-1995 ## Summary Law No. 8991 of February 24, 1995 (Lei nº 8991, de 24 de fevereiro de 1995) is a Brazilian federal statute promulgated by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Published in Brasília, the law addresses matters concerning military police, the Brazilian Army, the state of Rio de Janeiro, service provision arrangements, and associated legal norms. It is classified as a formal written document creating law and applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil. ## Key Facts - **Full Title:** Lei nº 8991, de 24 de fevereiro de 1995 - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 8991/1995 - **Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law) - **Country:** Brazil - **Publication Date:** February 24, 1995 - **Place of Publication:** Brasília (capital of Brazil) - **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil - **Promulgating Authority:** Fernando Henrique Cardoso (President of Brazil, 1995–2002) - **Promulgation Method:** Promulgation - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Jurisdiction:** Brazil - **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8991.htm - **WikiProject Classification:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## FAQs **What subjects does Law No. 8991/1995 address?** The law covers six main subjects: military police (Polícia Militar), the state of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Army (Exército), destination or allocation matters, service provision (prestação de serviço), and legal norms. **Who authorized Law No. 8991/1995?** The statute was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with Fernando Henrique Cardoso serving as the promulgating authority on February 24, 1995. **Where can the official text of Law No. 8991/1995 be found?** The official text is available through the Brazilian government's Planalto Palace website at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8991.htm, and is indexed under the LexML Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991. **What type of legal instrument is Law No. 8991/1995?** It is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. Statutes encompass acts passed by legislatures, executive orders, and by-laws, and serve as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. **What jurisdiction does Law No. 8991/1995 apply to?** The law applies to the jurisdiction of Brazil, operating under the Brazilian legal system and the framework established by the Constitution of Brazil (effective October 5, 1988). ## Why It Matters Law No. 8991 of February 24, 1995, represents an exercise of federal legislative authority during the early months of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's presidency—a period marked by significant economic and institutional reforms in Brazil. As a statute addressing military police, army matters, and the state of Rio de Janeiro, the law operates at the intersection of federal security policy and state-level implementation. The inclusion of service provision (prestação de serviço) and destination/allocation themes suggests the law may regulate how military police and army resources are deployed or contracted, potentially affecting public security arrangements in one of Brazil's most populous and economically significant states. Statutes like this one form the backbone of Brazil's statutory law, providing the written, enforceable rules that govern administrative and security operations. By being published in Brasília and indexed in the LexML Brazil system, the law ensures accessibility and transparency for citizens, legal professionals, and government officials who must comply with or administer its provisions. ## Notable For - **Early Cardoso Administration:** Enacted during the first year of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's presidency (1995–2002), a pivotal era of Brazilian economic stabilization and reform - **Military Police Focus:** Addresses the Polícia Militar, a uniformed state-level police force in Brazil responsible for maintaining public order - **Rio de Janeiro Specificity:** Includes the state of Rio de Janeiro as a named subject, indicating targeted applicability to one of Brazil's most prominent states - **Army Coordination:** Incorporates the Brazilian Army (Exército) as a subject, suggesting federal-state military coordination - **LexML Integration:** Assigned a structured LexML Brazil identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991), reflecting Brazil's commitment to machine-readable legal documentation - **WikiProject Coverage:** Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating scholarly and community interest in documenting Brazilian legislation ## Body ### Classification and Legal Status Law No. 8991 of February 24, 1995, is an instance of a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law. Statutes function as the manifestation of statutory law and serve as the official record of legal rules enacted by a government or authority. As a subclass of written work, document, and rule, this statute carries the full force of Brazilian federal law within its jurisdiction. The statute applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil**, meaning its provisions are binding within the territory of the Federative Republic of Brazil. It was drafted in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of Brazil, and carries the legal citation **Lei nº 8991/1995** for reference in legal proceedings, academic citations, and official documents. ### Promulgation and Approval The law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** through the process of promulgation. The promulgating authority was **Fernando Henrique Cardoso**, who served as President of Brazil from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2003. Cardoso, a prominent sociologist and politician, assumed office just weeks before this law's publication, placing Law No. 8991 among the early legislative acts of his two-term administration. The promulgation date—**February 24, 1995**—coincides with the publication date, indicating the law's immediate entry into the Brazilian legal framework upon the specified date. ### Publication and Accessibility The law was published in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil since April 22, 1960. Brasília serves as the seat of the federal government and the primary location for official government publications. For public and professional access, the official text is hosted by the **Planalto Palace website** (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8991.htm), which serves as the digital repository for Brazilian federal legislation. The law is also indexed in the **LexML Brazil** system, a structured legal information framework that provides unique identifiers for Brazilian legal documents. The LexML identifier for this statute is: **urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991** This identifier encodes the jurisdiction (br), authority level (federal), document type (lei), date (1995-02-24), and law number (8991) in a machine-readable format. ### Subject Matter and Scope The law addresses six principal subjects, each documented in the source material with corresponding Portuguese terminology: 1. **Military Police (Polícia Militar):** The uniformed state police forces in Brazil responsible for ostensive policing and maintenance of public order. Each Brazilian state maintains its own Military Police unit. 2. **Rio de Janeiro (Estado do Rio de Janeiro):** One of Brazil's 26 states, located in the Southeast region. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most populous and economically significant states, home to the city of Rio de Janeiro (former federal capital until 1960). 3. **Army (Exército):** The Brazilian Army, one of the three armed forces branches under the Ministry of Defense. The inclusion of this subject suggests federal military involvement or coordination in the law's provisions. 4. **Destination/Allocation (Destinação):** Refers to allocation or assignment of resources, personnel, or authority. The context suggests regulatory provisions governing how military or police assets are deployed. 5. **Service Provision (Prestação de Serviço):** Relates to work-for-hire arrangements or contracted services. This subject may address how military police or army units engage in service provision activities. 6. **Legal Norms (Normas):** General legal rules or standards established by the statute, providing the regulatory framework for the other subjects. ### Contextual Framework: The Brazilian Legal System Brazil operates as a **federal republic** with a presidential system of representative democracy. The country's legal foundation rests on the **Constitution of Brazil**, effective October 5, 1988, which establishes the structure of government, fundamental rights, and the legislative process. Federal statutes like Law No. 8991/1995 are enacted through the **National Congress of Brazil**, comprising the Federal Senate (81 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (513 deputies). Once passed by Congress and sanctioned by the President, laws are promulgated and published to take effect. The **LexML Brazil** system, under which this law is indexed, represents Brazil's adoption of semantic web technologies for legal documentation. This system enables interoperability, citation tracking, and machine processing of Brazilian legislation. ### Administrative and Historical Context Law No. 8991/1995 was enacted during a transformative period in Brazilian history. The year 1995 marked the beginning of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's presidency, which followed the Itamar Franco administration (1992–1994). Cardoso's government was characterized by economic stabilization policies, including the introduction of the **Brazilian real** (BRL) as the new currency on July 1, 1994, during his tenure as Finance Minister under Franco. The law's focus on military police and army coordination reflects Brazil's ongoing attention to public security, particularly in states like Rio de Janeiro, which faces significant challenges related to urban crime and public safety. The military police in Brazil operate under state command but follow federal guidelines, creating a complex jurisdictional relationship that statutes like this one help regulate. ### Digital and Scholarly Presence The statute is tracked within **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a collaborative effort to document and organize information about Brazilian legislation. This classification ensures that the law is represented in structured knowledge systems and accessible to researchers, legal professionals, and the general public. The official hosting on the **Planalto website** (ccivil_03 directory) indicates preservation in the Civil Cabinet's digital archives, ensuring long-term availability. The law's reference materials cite access dates of 2021, indicating ongoing verification and maintenance of the legal record. ### Relationships and Connected Entities - **Country:** Brazil — The sovereign nation under whose jurisdiction the law applies - **Promulgating Authority:** Fernando Henrique Cardoso — President of Brazil at the time of enactment - **Document Type:** Statute — Formal written document creating law - **Subjects:** Military Police, Rio de Janeiro, Army, Destination, Service Provision, Legal Norms - **Jurisdiction:** Federative Republic of Brazil - **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese - **Publication Location:** Brasília, Federal District ### Identifiers and References The law is associated with multiple identification systems for legal and knowledge management purposes: - **LexML Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991 - **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 8991/1995 - **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8991.htm - **WikiProject:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws ## References 1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1995-02-24;8991) 2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=8991&ano=1995&data=24/02/1995&ato=38fMzYE5UeJpWTc44)