National Security Law (Brazil) Explained

Short Title:	National Security Law
Legislature:	National Congress
Territorial Extent:	Brazil
Date Signed:	December 14, 1983
Signed By:	João Figueiredo
Date Commenced:	December 15, 1983
Date Repealed:	1 December 2021
Administered By:	Federal government
Amends:	National Security Act of 1978 (Law No. 6,620 of December 17, 1978)
Repealed By:	Law No. 14,197 of September 1, 2021
Summary:	Defines crimes against national security, political and social order, establishes their procedure and judgment, and makes other provisions.
Status:	repealed

The National Security Law was a Brazilian law that sought to guarantee the national security of the State against the subversion of law and order.^{[1] [2]} It was revoked in 2021 by Law No. 14,197,^[3] though its provisions pertaining national security and the defense of the democratic rule of law, including crimes against national sovereignty — attacks on the nation's sovereignty, national integrity and espionage — became part of the Brazilian Penal Code.^[4]

History

Since the Empire of Brazil there has been legislation on national security. This has been updated over time and the National Security Law (LSN), or Law No. 7,170 of 14 December 1983,^[5] defined crimes against national security, political and social order, also establishing its trial procedure and judgment.

The law became more frequently used in 2020.^[6] Attorney General Augusto Aras stated in April 2021 that he would not investigate president Jair Bolsonaro for the use of the National Security Law against critics and opponents, understanding that he would not be responsible for the actions of junior officials.^[7]

The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill repealing the law in May 2021, also including new "crimes against democracy", such as a coup d'état and interruption of elections, in the Penal Code.^[8] In July, the project was approved by the Federal Senate,^[9] and was sanctioned in September 2021, with vetoes, by the President of the Republic.^[10]

Crimes against national security

The law provided, in the Brazilian legal system, for crimes that harm national security or expose it to danger of injury:^{[11] [12]}

• Against territorial integrity and national sovereignty, acts of trying to dismember part of the national territory to constitute an independent country incur a crime with a penalty of imprisonment from 4 to 12 years;
• Enticing individuals from another country to invade national territory, whose penalty is imprisonment for 3 to 10 years and if the invasion occurs, the penalty is increased up to double;
• the person of the heads of the Powers of the Union, legislative, executive and judiciary.

See also

• Ministry of Defence

Notes and References

1. CEPIK, Marco (2001). Segurança Nacional e Segurança Humana: Problemas Conceituais e Consequências Políticas [em linha]. Security and Defense Studies Review. Vol. 1 Spring 2001.
2. CARVALHO, Jorge Silva (2009). Segurança Nacional, Serviços de Informações e as Forças Armadas. Segurança e Defesa n.º 11. Setembro-Novembro 2009
3. https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/lei-n-14.197-de-1-de-setembro-de-2021-342334198 LEI Nº 14.197, DE 1º DE SETEMBRO DE 2021
4. https://www12.senado.leg.br/noticias/materias/2021/09/02/sancionada-a-revogacao-da-lei-de-seguranca-nacional-artigo-contra-disseminacao-de-fake-news-e-vetado Sancionada a revogação da Lei de Segurança Nacional; artigo contra disseminação de fake news é vetado
5. Web site: Lei N.º 7.170, de 1983 . Planalto.gov.br .
6. Web site: Lei de Segurança Nacional: por que lei criada na ditadura voltou a ser tão usada em 2020. 12 July 2020. Letícia . Mori. 22 June 2020. BBC News Brasil. BBC. 12 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200712190809/https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/amp/brasil-53116925. pt.
7. Web site: Aras diz que não vai investigar Bolsonaro por governo ter usado Lei de Segurança contra críticos . 7 May 2021 . G1 . pt.
8. Web site: Câmara aprova projeto que revoga Lei de Segurança Nacional; texto vai ao Senado . 4 May 2021 . 7 May 2021 . . Luiz Felipe. Barbiéri . . Elisa . Clavery . pt.
9. Web site: Revogação da Lei de Segurança Nacional segue para a sanção presidencial . 11 August 2021 . . pt.
10. Web site: Sancionada com vetos a lei que revoga a Lei de Segurança Nacional e define crimes contra a democracia. 2021-09-02. pt-br.
11. Segurança Nacional : legislação e doutrina. – 2. ed. – Brasília : Senado Federal, Subsecretaria de Edições Técnicas, 2006
12. [Hely Lopes Meirelles|Meirelles, H. Lopes]