Law No. 12,015, of August 7, 2009, amended Title VI of the Brazilian Penal Code to redefine and expand crimes against sexual dignity. The reform reorganized provisions on sexual crimes, establishing new classifications and penalties for acts against sexual freedom, crimes against vulnerable persons, and offenses related to prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Law No. 14,612, of July 3, 2023, amended the Statute of the Legal Profession (Law No. 8,906/1994) to include moral harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination among the ethical-disciplinary violations within the scope of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB). With this reform, Article 34 of the statute was updated to explicitly prohibit these practices and to define their scope.

Law No. 14,457, of September 21, 2022, created the “Emprega + Mulheres e Jovens” Program and introduced Chapter VII into the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) to establish measures for the prevention and combat of sexual harassment and other forms of workplace violence.

Law No. 14,540 of April 3, 2023, establishes the Program for Preventing and Combating Sexual Harassment, Crimes against Sexual Dignity, and Sexual Violence within the scope of direct and indirect public administration at the federal, state, district, and municipal levels. The law also extends its application to private entities that provide public services.

Law No. 14,245 of 22 November 2021 (Mariana Ferrer Law), amends the Brazilian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Law of Special Civil and Criminal Courts to protect victims and witnesses, especially in cases involving crimes against sexual dignity, during judicial proceedings.

Law No. 10,224, of May 15, 2001, amending the Penal Code to establish the crime of sexual harassment

The Brazilian Penal Code was amended to introduce Article 216-A, which defines sexual harassment as the act of constraining someone with the intent of obtaining a sexual advantage or favor by taking advantage of a position of hierarchical superiority or influence associated with employment, office, or function. The punishment for this offense is detention from one to two years. This law took effect on the date of its publication.

Act on Self-Determination with Regard to Gender Registration (2024)

History

For most of its history as a feudal polity, France lacked a single unified body of law. In the north, local customary laws derived from old Franco-Germanic traditions predominated, while in the south these customs were combined with the Corpus Iuris Civilis (Roman law). Efforts by French monarchs to standardize laws were limited in scope and success. A comprehensive movement to replace the hundreds of separate French legal systems began in 1790 without the monarchy’s approval.

The right to petition is one of the rights protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and is applied to the states through the Due Process Clause of the 

H.R. 1, An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14, Public Law 119‑21, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) was signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025.