Quelle valeur médicolégale d'un référentiel ?

Guidelines for good medical practice have flourished over the last decade. But what is their value? What is their legal status? Do they imply a legal obligation like with a law or ministerial decree? From a strictly legal standpoint, considering the judicial framework and the hierarchy of legal norms in France, guidelines have no real legal status. Nevertheless, the rigorous methodology and research leading to such guidelines together with the fact that they are written by independent experts gives them a certain degree of legitimacy acknowledged in court. Compliance with guidelines meeting accepted criteria can thus, under specific conditions, be considered as mandatory.