조선시대 문무관원에게 품계에 따라 수여한 임명장인 告身은, 追奪 · 還給 등의 처분을 통해 죄를 지은 관원을 징계하여 자격을 박탈하거나, 사면하여 회복시키는 과정과 상당한 관련이 있다. 明代 《大明律》 〈名例〉 [文武官犯私罪] 條에서는 관원의 私罪에 대해 官品을 差等的으로 거뒀으며, 이 체계가 조선 《經國大典》의 〈刑典〉 [推斷] 條로 이어졌다. 조선에서 告身을 거두는 처분은 본래의 형벌에 대한 附加刑으로서의 성격과 관원의 자격을 박탈하거나 강등하는 징계벌 · 명예형의 성격을 모두 갖추고 있었다. 조선왕조실록을 통해 告身 追奪을 유형화하면 토지 · 노비 문제, 贓汚罪, 網常罪 등 다양한 유형을 징계하기 위해 관원의 告身을 거두었음을 알 수 있다. 다만 공신 · 종친이거나 사면 시기와 맞물려 추탈을 면한 사례도 있으며, 私罪에 국한하여 告身을 거두는 것이 원칙이었음에도 불구하고 公罪에 대해서도 告身을 거두는 현상도 종종 발견된다. 告身 還給은 定例的 還給과 사면에 의한 還給으로 구분할 수 있다. 告身이 追奪된 관원은 대체로 2년 뒤에 敍用할 수 있도록 하였으므로 還給 역시 원칙적으로는 그에 준하여 이루어졌을 것으로 추정된다. 사면에 의한 非定例的인 還給은 왕실의 각종 경조사 및 자연재해로 인한 대사면, 그리고 실무적 판단에 따른 경우이다. 사면으로 인한 대규모 告身 還給의 빈도와 인원이 지속적으로 증가하는 가운데, 贓汚 · 綱常罪와 같은 중죄를 告身 還給의 배제사유로 삼는 문제를 두고 논의가 이뤄졌으며, 대체로 恤刑에 대해 공감하였음에도 불구하고 告身 還給 그 자체의 실효성에 대한 의문 제기도 이어졌다. 이는 조선 초기 告身 還給이 정치적 안정성 및 화합 도모라는 정치적 · 현실적인 필요성과, 엄정한 법질서 구현이라는 명분론의 지속적인 긴장상태 하에서 이루어졌음을 뜻한다.
Gosin, certificates of appointment for the civil and military officials in the early Joseon Dynasty, had been related to the process of punishing or forgiving officials by depriving or returning Gosin. When looking back to the Chinese-Tang dynasty, there were rules about depriving Gosin in 《Dang-ryulsoui(唐律疏議)》 · 《Dang-yukjeon(唐六典)》. In Ming Dynasty, [Munmukwan-beomsajoe(文武官犯私罪)] clause in the 《Daemyeongryul(大明律)》 had expressed clearly that Gosin of the guilty officials must be taken away, depending on their nature of crimes. This legal system continued to the 《Gyeong-gukdaejeon(經國大典)》, early Joseon’s code. According to the record of 《Annals of the Joseon Dynasty(朝鮮王朝實錄)》, Joseon Dynasty compared the kinds of crime and appropriateness of punishment and deprived Gosin. Therefore, it is proper to consider that depriving or returning Gosin as a disciplinary measure or amnesty for guilty officials. Depriving Gosin was punishment for officials’ various crimes or misconducts. Lawsuit about slavery, bribery, sin about the whole duty of man in Confucian society, killing by severe punishment, false accusation; these were typical reasons of depriving Gosin. Despite the ban of 《Daemyeongryul》, officials who made mistakes from public survices seldomly suffered deprivation. Vassals of merit, kindred of the king, military officers in the outer area, however, escaped from deprivation. Moreover, crimes before amnesty, husband of the female criminal were also subject to the exemption. Periodic returning of the Gosin probably happened in early Joseon dynasty, as list of deprivation was regularly reported to the king. Although there were a few of exceptions, returning of Gosin might be generally enforced within 2 years, considering the 2-year-term of reappointment legalized in Gyeong-gukdaejeon. Returning of the Gosin by remission was held in celebration or funeral of the royal families. As it were an agrarian society, Joseon Dynasty often returned the Gosinin response to the natural disasters such as drought, monsoon, etc. Both depriving and returning of the Gosin was discussed with king and his officials, and finally decided by the king. Dae-gan(臺諫), the official adviser of the kingdom, also argued against false depriving or returning of the Gosin. Dead officials who had been deprived Gosin in his lifetime, could got back them. On the other hand, the decedent could be taken his certificates after his death with every regard to his nature of a crime. Even though the number of reports about depriving Gosin increased as time passes, occasional returing of the Gosin also caused lots of beneficiaries. Tradition about calamity and tolerant punishment in confucianism made monarchs to give back guilty officials’ Gosin. Some criticisms in those eras usually focused on disability of strict law enforcement due to the returning of Gosin. This shows that returning of Gosin was done under constant state of tension between political harmony and strict order of law.