täisistungi

Täisistungi is a term used in Estonian legal vocabulary to refer to a court session in which the entire composition of a court participates, i.e., a full bench. It denotes a sitting that includes all judges assigned to the court, rather than a smaller panel. Täisistungid are typically convened for cases of particular importance, when a broader judicial consensus or the establishment of authoritative precedent is desired, or when a higher court reviews a lower court's decision.

The term is formed from täis meaning full and istung meaning sitting or hearing; the genitive form täisistungi is used to refer to the decision or procedure of such a session, as in täisistungi otsus or täisistungi koosseis. In practice, a täisistung may involve specific organizational arrangements and a broader deliberation process, reflecting its significance compared to ordinary panel sittings.

In many jurisdictions, a parallel concept exists under terms such as en banc or full court, describing a gathering of a court's full membership to decide certain matters. The Estonian term is primarily used in legal texts and court communications within Estonian-speaking contexts, and its applicability is tied to the courts where Estonian is the language of proceedings.

See also en banc; appellate court; Supreme Court.