소위 보라매병원 사건은 의학적 권고에 반하여 환자의 보호자가 퇴원을 요구하고, 이 요구에 응해 치료를 계속할 경우에 생존가능성이 높았던 환자를 퇴원시킨 담당의사가 살인죄로 기소된 사건이었다. 이 사건에는 작위와 부작위의 판단, 치료중단의 법적인 성격, 치료중단이 부작위로 판단내려질 경우의 의사의 보증인 지위와 의무의 근거 등 많은 형법적 쟁점을 내포하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 의료계약의 계약법적 성격에 대한 논의부터 시작하여, 의사의 치료중단이 부작위로 인정될 경우의 의사의 보증인적 지위와 의무와 관련하여 의료계약의 특성은 어떻게 이해될 수 있는지를 특히 보라매 병원사건과 관련하여 살펴본다. 의사에게는 환자 또는 환자 보호자의 퇴원요구에도 불구하고 계속적 치료에 대한 법적, 계약적, 조리 상의 의무가 인정된다고 할 수 있고, 그것은 의사의 자발적 인수에서도 마찬가지이다. 의사에게 보증인 지위와 의무를 인정하는 법적 근거는 무엇보다 응급의료에 관한 법 제10조에서 찾을 수 있다. 의료계약은 위임계약에 유사한 비전형계약이다. 따라서 계약의 성립과 해지에 관해 위임계약에 관한 규정이 준용된다고 할 수 있다. 그런데, 치료가 계속해서 이루어질 경우에 생존가능성이 높은 환자 보호자의 퇴원요구는 계약 일반에 있어서 대리가 가능한 성질의 것이 아니므로 그러한 보호자의 대리행위는 무효라고 할 수 있으며, 따라서 보호자의 퇴원요구가 있다고 하더라도 의사는 계속적 치료의무를 진다고 할 것이다. 또한 의사의 치료계속의무는 반드시 도덕적 의무라고만 볼 수는 없으므로 조리를 제한적으로 인정하는 견해에 따른다면 조리 상의 작위의무도 인정될 수 있다고 본다.

The so-called Boramae hospital case is that patient's conservator claimed discharge against medical advice, and doctors who accepted that demand were indicted for murder. In this case, there are many issues of criminal law(like judgement of act and omission, legal property of treatment ceasing, duty to act of the doctor in treatment ceasing in case of confirming omission, and so on). This paper begins with the examination of legal property of the medical contract and we discuss it mainly on an existing related law and a domestic discussion with Boramae Hospital case how the property of such a medical contract can be applied to the confirmation of the duty to act of the doctor when a treatment ceasing is accepted in omission. Doctor has legal, contractual, social-conventional duty to give medical treatment continuously in spite of the demand of the discharge of patient or patient's conservator. It is also from the voluntary undertaking of the doctor. The confirmation of doctor's duty to act is clear by a law of the emergency medical care Article 10 above all. As we have discussed it with the property of the medical contract, the medical contract is non typical contract which is similar for mandate so that the provision of this article with respect to mandate shall apply in conclusion and cancellation of the contract. If it is so, demand of the discharge of patient's conservator despite possibility of survive is high when treatment was maintained not stand because self-determination can't be represented. In addition, doctor's duty to give medical treatment continuously is not thought only to be the moral obligation by all means, so it can be accepted as the duty according to social-conventional rules following the restrictive view of it.

The so-called Boramae hospital case is that patient's conservator claimed discharge against medical advice, and doctors who accepted that demand were indicted for murder. In this case, there are many issues of criminal law(like judgement of act and omission, legal property of treatment ceasing, duty to act of the doctor in treatment ceasing in case of confirming omission, and so on). This paper begins with the examination of legal property of the medical contract and we discuss it mainly on an existing related law and a domestic discussion with Boramae Hospital case how the property of such a medical contract can be applied to the confirmation of the duty to act of the doctor when a treatment ceasing is accepted in omission. Doctor has legal, contractual, social-conventional duty to give medical treatment continuously in spite of the demand of the discharge of patient or patient's conservator. It is also from the voluntary undertaking of the doctor. The confirmation of doctor's duty to act is clear by a law of the emergency medical care Article 10 above all. As we have discussed it with the property of the medical contract, the medical contract is non typical contract which is similar for mandate so that the provision of this article with respect to mandate shall apply in conclusion and cancellation of the contract. If it is so, demand of the discharge of patient's conservator despite possibility of survive is high when treatment was maintained not stand because self-determination can't be represented. In addition, doctor's duty to give medical treatment continuously is not thought only to be the moral obligation by all means, so it can be accepted as the duty according to social-conventional rules following the restrictive view of it.

Medical Contract, Treatment Ceasing, Guarantor Position, DAMA: discharge against medical advice, Emergency Medical Care