A surgical instrument, comprising: a housing including an elongated shaft having a distal portion extending therefrom and a proximal portion coupled to the housing, the elongated shaft having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough; an actuating mechanism operably coupled to the elongated shaft and moveable relative to the housing between an actuated position and an unactuated position to selectively move the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis; an end effector including a pair of opposing first and second jaw members movable relative to each other from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween upon movement of the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis, the end effector adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy for conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue grasped between the jaw members to effect a tissue seal; a switch supported by the housing and moveable between an activated position to initiate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector and a deactivated position to terminate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector; a switch activation member disposed on the actuating mechanism and configured to move the switch to the activated position upon movement of the actuating mechanism to the actuated position and to the deactivated position upon movement of the actuating mechanism to the unactuated position; characterised in that the surgical instrument further comprises a switch control member configured to maintain the switch in the activated position during at least partial movement of the actuating mechanism from the actuated position to the unactuated position. a housing including an elongated shaft having a distal portion extending therefrom and a proximal portion coupled to the housing, the elongated shaft having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough; an actuating mechanism operably coupled to the elongated shaft and moveable relative to the housing between an actuated position and an unactuated position to selectively move the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis; an end effector including a pair of opposing first and second jaw members movable relative to each other from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween upon movement of the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis, the end effector adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy for conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue grasped between the jaw members to effect a tissue seal; a switch supported by the housing and moveable between an activated position to initiate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector and a deactivated position to terminate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector; a switch activation member disposed on the actuating mechanism and configured to move the switch to the activated position upon movement of the actuating mechanism to the actuated position and to the deactivated position upon movement of the actuating mechanism to the unactuated position; characterised in that the surgical instrument further comprises a switch control member configured to maintain the switch in the activated position during at least partial movement of the actuating mechanism from the actuated position to the unactuated position.