Brazilian order of precedence
Encyclopedia
The order of precedence
in Brazil
is a symbolic hierarchy of officials used to direct protocol. It is regulated by Presidential Decree number 70.274 of March 9, 1972, signed by former President Emilio Medici
. The following order applies to ceremonies hosted by the federal government.
This formal order of precedent was established during the military dictatorship, and hasn't been amended after the country's return to democracy in the 1980s. However, changes have informally been introduced to it, so that the de jure precedence no longer corresponds to the de facto arrangements that prevail in current practice. For instance, the head of the military cabinet, the head of the intelligence service and general officers of the Armed Forces no longer enjoy a precedence as high as is assigned to them by the 1972 Decree.
Other modifications of the order of precedence arise from the fact that certain officers, such as the Chief of Staff to the President, the Solicitor-General, etc, have been granted by law the status of Ministers of State, and so the holders of such officers now have a higher rank than they would have otherwise.
The order of precedence only used to indicate ceremonial protocol; it does not reflect the co-equal status of the branches of government under the Constitution, and is not an actual hierarchy.
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
is a symbolic hierarchy of officials used to direct protocol. It is regulated by Presidential Decree number 70.274 of March 9, 1972, signed by former President Emilio Medici
Emílio Garrastazu Médici
Emílio Garrastazu Médici, was a Brazilian military leader and politician. His rightist rule from 1969 to 1974, marked the apex of military governments in Brazil.-Early life:...
. The following order applies to ceremonies hosted by the federal government.
This formal order of precedent was established during the military dictatorship, and hasn't been amended after the country's return to democracy in the 1980s. However, changes have informally been introduced to it, so that the de jure precedence no longer corresponds to the de facto arrangements that prevail in current practice. For instance, the head of the military cabinet, the head of the intelligence service and general officers of the Armed Forces no longer enjoy a precedence as high as is assigned to them by the 1972 Decree.
Other modifications of the order of precedence arise from the fact that certain officers, such as the Chief of Staff to the President, the Solicitor-General, etc, have been granted by law the status of Ministers of State, and so the holders of such officers now have a higher rank than they would have otherwise.
The order of precedence only used to indicate ceremonial protocol; it does not reflect the co-equal status of the branches of government under the Constitution, and is not an actual hierarchy.
Order of precedence according to the Decree in force
- The President of the RepublicPresident of BrazilThe president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
(Dilma Vana Rousseff) - The Vice-President of the RepublicVice-President of BrazilThe Vice President of Brazil is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of Brazil after the President...
(Michel TemerMichel TemerMichel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia , better known as Michel Temer, is a Brazilian lawyer and politician, and currently the Vice-President of Brazil after winning on the ticket of Workers' Party candidate Dilma Rousseff...
) and spouse (Marcela Temer) - Foreign ambassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
s - The President of the SenateSenate of BrazilThe Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
(José SarneyJosé SarneyJosé Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
) - The President of the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies of BrazilThe Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
(Marco MaiaMarco MaiaMarco Aurélio Spall Maia, better known as Marco Maia , is a Brazilian politician, and the current President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. He is on a third consecutive term as Federal Deputy for the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A metalworker and union leader by trade, Maia joined the Workers'...
) - The President of the Supreme Federal Court (Cezar PelusoCezar PelusoAntonio Cezar Peluso is a Brazilian jurist. He is a member of the Supreme Federal Tribunal and, since April 2010, has been the Court's Chief Justice ....
) - Brazilian cardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s (Eugênio de Araújo SalesEugênio de Araújo SalesEugênio de Araújo Sales is, as of 2011, the longest-serving cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, having been elevated by Pope Paul VI on April 28, 1969. He served as archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro for thirty years until his resignation was accepted in 2001, when he had already...
, Paulo Evaristo ArnsPaulo Evaristo ArnsPaulo Evaristo Arns O.F.M. is the Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo.-Early life and education:...
, José Freire Falcão, Serafim Fernandes de Araújo, Cláudio HummesCláudio HummesCláudio Hummes, OFM is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy in the Roman Curia , having previously served as Archbishop of Fortaleza from 1996 to 1998 and archbishop of São Paulo from 1998 to 2006...
, Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Eusébio Oscar Scheid, Odilo Pedro Scherer, Raymundo Damasceno AssisRaymundo Damasceno AssisRaymundo Damasceno Assis is an Brazilan Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was auxiliary bishop of Brasilla. He is current archbishop of Aparecida.-Early life and ordination:...
) - Ministers of State
- The Head of the Military Cabinet (José Elito Carvalho Siqueira)
- The Chief of StaffChief of Staff of BrazilThe Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of Brazil, and a senior aide to the President.In Brazil, the Chief of Staff is a member of the president's cabinet, with the rank of Minister....
(Antonio Palocci Filho) - The Director of the Brazilian Intelligence AgencyBrazilian Intelligence AgencyThe Brazilian Intelligence Agency is the successor organization to the Serviço Nacional de Informações or National Information Service formed during the government of Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco in the mid-1960s....
(Wilson Roberto Trezza) - The Commanders of the Armed ForcesMilitary of BrazilThe Brazilian Armed Forces is the unified military organization comprising the Brazilian Army , the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force....
(Júlio Soares de Moura NetoJúlio Soares de Moura NetoAdmiral Júlio Soares de Moura Neto is the current Commander of the Brazilian Navy. He assumed his current assignment on March 1, 2007.-External links:*...
, Enzo Martins PeriEnzo Martins PeriGeneral Enzo Martins Peri is the current Brazilian Army commander. He assumed his current assignment on March 8, 2007.-Biography:General Enzo was born in Rio de Janeiro in Abril 11th, 1941 and begun his military career in February 1960, when he entered the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras...
, Juniti SaitoJuniti SaitoJuniti Saito is a military officer and the current commander of Brazilian Air Force.The son of Japanese immigrants Iwataro Saito and Toshike Tamaoki, Lieutenant-Brigadier Saito is the first Japanese-Brazilian to reach the highest rank in a branch of the Brazilian Military.In 2010, Saito signed an...
) - The Solicitor-GeneralOffice of the Solicitor-General in BrazilThe Solicitor-General of the Union represents the Brazilian Union before national courts and also provides legal advice to the Brazilian executive branch....
(Luís Inácio AdamsLuís Inácio AdamsLuís Inácio Lucena Adams is a Brazilian lawyer, and was appointed to be Brazilian Attorney-General of the Union on October 23, 2009....
) - Foreign envoys
- The President of the Supreme Electoral CourtSupreme Electoral Court (Brazil)The Supreme Electoral Court is the highest body of the Brazilian Electoral Court. There are also Regional Electoral Courts and Electoral Registry offices spread throughout Brazil....
(Ricardo Lewandowski) - Justices of the Supreme Federal TribunalSupreme Federal TribunalThe Supreme Federal Court is the supreme court of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for constitutional issues and its rulings cannot be appealed...
- Governors of State
- The Governor of the Federal DistrictBrazilian Federal DistrictThe Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...
(Agnelo Queiroz) - Senators
- Federal Deputies
- AdmiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
s - MarshalMarshalMarshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
s - Air MarshalsMarshalMarshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
- Squadron Admirals
- Army GeneralsGeneral of the ArmyGeneral of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
- Lieutenant-Brigadiers
- The President of the Superior Justice Tribunal
- The President of the Superior Military Tribunal
- The President of the Superior Labor Tribunal
- Justices of the Supreme Electoral CourtSupreme Electoral Court (Brazil)The Supreme Electoral Court is the highest body of the Brazilian Electoral Court. There are also Regional Electoral Courts and Electoral Registry offices spread throughout Brazil....
- Chargé d'affairesChargé d'affairesIn diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
of foreign countries - Justices of the Superior Justice Tribunal
- Justices of the Superior Military Tribunal
- Justices of the Superior Labor Tribunal
- Vice AdmiralVice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
s - Divisional GeneralDivisional GeneralDivisional General is a rank used in many armies to denote a rank of general, corresponding to command of a division. For convenience Divisional General is almost always translated into English as Major-General, the equivalent rank used by the UK, USA, etc., although this translation is, strictly...
s - Major-Brigadiers
- ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s or equivalent in other religions - The President of the Tribunal of Justice of the Federal District
- Secretaries-General of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies
- Federal Prosecutors
- Directors of the Ministries of State
- ChancellorsChancellor (education)A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Federal Universities - The Director of the Brazilian Federal PoliceBrazilian Federal PoliceThe Polícia Federal is the federal police force of Brazil subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main assignments are the investigations of crimes against the Federal Government or its organs and companies, the combat of international drug trafficking and terrorism, and immigration and...
- The President of the Central Bank of BrazilCentral Bank of BrazilThe Central Bank of Brazil is Brazil's monetary authority. It was established on December 31, 1964.The Central Bank is linked with the Ministry of Finance. Like other central banks, the Brazilian central bank is the principal monetary authority of the country...
- The President of the Bank of Brazil
- The President of the Brazilian Development BankBNDESThe Brazilian Development Bank is a federal public company associated with the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. Its goal is to provide long-term financing for endeavors that contribute to the country's development...
- The Secretary of the Federal Revenue Service
- Mayors