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Country Background

Brazil is located in Eastern South America. It is bounded by Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. The official language is Portuguese. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 206 million. Brazil is a predominantly Christian country, with about 65% of the population Roman Catholic. Brazil is an observer state of the Arab League, owing to its large Arab population (~9 million, 7 million of whom are of Lebanese ancestry). Brazil also requested observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in 2011.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Brazil is referred to as a federal presidential republic. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It is a civil law system with the last civil code enacted in 2002.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Brazil.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Brazil.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Brazil has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  • Diário Oficial (official gazette)
  • Câmara dos Deputados [Chamber of Deputies] and Senado Federal [Federal Senate]
  • Legislação Federal Brasileira - provides full-text access to the Constitution, Federal Codes, and major laws
  • LexLM Brazil - Legislative and Legal Information Portal
• Executive
  • Government Portal
  • Presidência
  • Ministério da Justiça
• Judicial
  • Supremo Tribunal Federal [Supreme Constitutional Court] - includes summaries of selected decisions in English
  • Superior Tribunal de Justiça [Superior Court of Justice]

 Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Brazil (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Brazil (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Brazil (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English and Arabic translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].