The Official Gazette “is an official publication which is published by the acts of the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.” (ATIENZA, 1979, p. 163).
To find a publication as the Official Gazette, Atienza (1979, p. 164) states that it is necessary to know its features, especially the following:
“- Title and history;
– Frequency: frequency of publication;
– Numbering of issues;
– Paging;
– Purpose;
– Arrangement or organization: parts of the diary, order and sequence of the published acts, according to the organ from which they emanate such acts, and
– Supplements: numbering and content of supplements and observations on how to take knowledge of all supplements.”
But what exactly is a supplement? The site of the Official Press give us the answer:
“It’s Official Gazette with stories detailing or regulating laws or ordinances previously published. They are the cases of the current supplements National Health Surveillance Agency and the Federal Highway Police Department.” (IMPRENSA. .., 2012).
It is noteworthy, too, that are eventually published extra editions of the diary: “It’s Official Gazette with matters of great importance, sent after the close of the day’s edition.” (IMPRENSA. .., 2012).
The Official Gazette is divided into three parts, namely:
“Section 1 – Laws, decrees, resolutions, regulations instructions, ordinances and other legislative acts of general interest.
Section 2 – Acts of interest to the Federal Public Administration servers.
Section 3 – Contract, notices, warnings and ineditoriais. “(IMPRENSA. .., 2012)
Based on the criteria of Atienza (1979, p. 164) given above, follow the characteristics of the sections displayed:
Section 1
Frequency: daily
Issue numbers: daily, within each year
Pagination: daily
Purpose: “Created by the Federal Decree 46.237 of 22.06.1959, issue acts of the Executive and Legislative Advisory Bodies immediate presidential and centralized administration (ministries)” (ATIENZA, 1979, p. 165)
Arrangement or organization: Acts of Congress, the Presidency, Ministries, National Council of the Public Prosecutor, Federal Public Prosecution, Court of Audit, Judiciary, Supreme Audit Practice of the Professions (there may be variations, namely it may be that in an issue are not published Acts of Congress, while in other Acts of Executive may be available . Any doubt, consult the summary edition)
Section 2
Frequency: daily
Issue numbers: daily, within each year
Pagination: daily
Purpose: “Created by Federal Decree 46.237 of 22.06.1959, issue acts of decentralized government agencies, or municipalities, public enterprises and joint stock companies.” (ATIENZA, 1979, p. 167)
Arrangement or organization: Acts of Executive, Presidency, Ministries, National Council of the Public Prosecutor, Federal Public Prosecution, Court of Audit, Legislative, Judiciary, Supreme Audit Practice of the Professions (as in section 1, there may be differences between editions)
Section 3
Frequency: daily
Numbering issues: daily, within each year
Pagination: daily
Purpose: To publish “agreements, notices, warnings and ineditoriais (acts of state and municipal governments and others which, by operation of law, require publication).” (IMPRENSA. .., 2012)
Arrangement or organization: the Presidency, Ministries, National Council of the Public Prosecutor, Federal Public Prosecution, Court of Audit, Legislative, Judiciary, Supreme Audit Practice of the Professions, Ineditoriais (again, differences can be found between editions).
REFERENCES
ATIENZA, Cecília Andreotti. Documentação jurídica: introdução à análise e indexação de atos legais. Rio de Janeiro: Achiamé, 1979.266 p.
IMPRENSA OFICIAL. A Carta de Serviços ao Cidadão. [S.L.: s.n.], 2012.