我國成年監護制度之實證研究

Abstract

根據我國內政部統計處資料，於2016年底，總生育率為1.17人，且65歲以上之人佔全人口比例13.2%，顯示我國正處於少子化以及高齡化社會之階段。且家庭結構亦轉變為小家庭，若仍由個別家庭負擔照護責任，勢必難以負擔，又若無國家力量從中協助，反而將使少子化以及高齡化問題更趨嚴重。對此，立法者已於2009年針對成年監護制度進行修正，加以因應。 成年監護制度修正後，由法院為本人選定監護（輔助）人。依據民法第1111條之1的立法理由，「受監護宣告之人之最佳利益」為其最高指導原則，然「受監護宣告之人之最佳利益」係屬不確定法律概念，於實務運作上，法院如何將此概念具體運用於個案？再者，我國並未針對成年監護制度實務運作情形進行系統性司法統計，此對於法學研究或是立法論之檢討等，都將有所限制。 從而，本研究以2015年全國地方法院准許聲請監護宣告事件，以及輔助宣告事件之第一審裁定書共830件為素材，分析法院選定監護人/輔助人之考量因素，以探討民法第1111條之1「受監護宣告之人之最佳利益」，並描繪出我國成年監護制度實務運作樣態。分析結果為：1.從年齡趨勢以及疾病別來看，受監護宣告人集中在高齡、腦部病症或其他精神疾病患者，相較之下，受輔助宣告人多為青年或壯年，疾病種類則以思覺失調症、情感性患疾以及成年前智能不足為主，可見制度適用對象有所差異；2.聲請人、監護人、輔助人及開具財產清冊之人皆具有親屬擔任之特徵；3.監護與輔助類型皆以單獨監護（輔助）為主；4.法院選任程序監理人之原因，與「家庭自治失靈」無統計上顯著相關性，且在實務運作中，程序監理人之角色與立法者之期待不同；5.法院依職權命訪視之原因，在聲請監護宣告事件，與「家庭自治失靈」具有統計上顯著性，另在輔助宣告事件，則與「輔助人選是否有共識」具有統計上顯著性；6.法院選定親屬或非親屬監護（輔助）人之因素，有以親屬意見為重之現象；7.於親屬間意見不一致時，法院有選定複數監護（輔助）人之傾向。 最後則針對我國實務運作情況提出個人建議，包括：應盡可能探求受監護（輔助）人之真意、降低使用成年監護制度之門檻、制度設計應更彈性化、建置親屬以外之適當監護（輔助）人名單以及改善開具財產清冊之人之制度等。期能作為日後實務運作檢討以及修法討論之參考依據。

According to the Department of Statistics, the Ministry of the Interior, the total fertility rate was 1.17 and the proportion of elderly population was 13.2% in 2016, which display Taiwan is under the lower birth rate and aging society. Furthermore, nuclear family structure makes difficult for family to support elder people. If public power doesn’t give assistance to family, it will make the problem in the lower birth rate and aging society worse. Therefore, in order to react the increasing demand for the guardianship serveice, the legislators improved the adult guardianship system in 2008. The 2008 amendment authorized the court to elect one or more guardians or assistants. According to the legislative explanation of Art.1111-1, when electing guardians or assistants, the court have to make decisions based on “the best interests of the ward”. However, “the best interests of the ward” is the indefinite legal concept, how do the court apply it to an individual case? In addition, the Judical Yuan doesn’t make a systematical judicial statistic about the adult guardianship system, which will make legal research or the review of legislation restricted. Therefore, by analyzing 830 Taiwan District Court judgments about permitted motion for a declaration of commencement of guardianship and declaration of commencement of assistance during 2015, the thesis wants to figure out the potential factors that might influence judges when electing guardians or assistants, and depict the pattern of the adult guardianship system in the practical operation. The research results are as followed:1.The difference between the wards and the assistances, in the aspect of age trend, the former is concentrated on elders, the latter is concentrated on young adults; in the aspect of category of disease, the former is concentrated on brain's disease and other mental disturbance, the latter is concentrated on schizophrenia, affective psychosis and mental retardation.; 2.No matter the petitioner, the guardian, the assistant or the person for drawing up an inventory of the ward’s property, there is family members oriented. ; 3. The type of the guardians/assistants is the sole guardian/assistant. ; 4. The factor of ” the failure of family autonomy“ is not statistically significant, when the court is designating a guardian ad litem. And in the practical operation, the role of the guardian ad litem is not in accord with the legislative explanation. ; 5.When the court asks competent authority or organization of social welfare provide visiting report and suggestion, the factor of ” the failure of family autonomy“ is statistically significant in the permitted motion for a declaration of commencement of guardianship. And in the declaration of commencement of assistance, there is statistical significance about the factor of ”whether family members reach a consensus on the assistant“. ; 6.When electing guardians or assistants, the court attaches great importance to family members’ opinion. ; 7.When there is dispute between family members, the court prefers to select joint guardianship. Finally, in accordance with the above results of research, the thesis provides some suggestions, for the review of the pratical operarion and the amendments to the adult guardianship system. The suggestions are as follows: 1.Ensure the ward‘s will as much as possible; 2.Lower the threshold of the adult guardianship system; 3.The designing of the adult guardianship system should be more flexible; 4.Establish the proper non-relatives guardians list.; 5.Improve the system of the person for drawing up an inventory of the ward’s property.