A laparoscopic instrument comprising a handgrip, an articulated lever, a shank having a closer end which is attached to the handgrip, tissue acting actuators (26, 27) installed at the further end of the shank, a string configured to move the actuators, the further end of the string being connected to said actuators and the closer end being connected to the lever, the string being placed inside the shank and the movement of the lever being coupled with movement of the actuators (26, 27), an integrated latching mechanism, comprising a toothed bar and a latch, designed to hold the actuators (26, 27) in an operating position by holding the lever position in relation to the handgrip, and a locking and releasing mechanism equipped with a switching lever rotatably mounted on the handgrip and having a locking position and a release position to hold the latching mechanism to engage and to disengage the latching mechanism respectively, characterised in that the handgrip is provided with a first socket and a second socket and the switching lever is provided with a pushback element, wherein in the release position of the switching lever the pushback element is located in the second socket, rests against the toothed bar and disengages the latching mechanism in such a way that the toothed bar is moved away from the latch so that a surface of teeth is without contact with a surface of the latch, wherein in the locking position of the switching lever the pushback element is located in the first socket and away from the toothed bar of the latching mechanism so that a surface of teeth comes into contact with a surface of the latch. a handgrip, an articulated lever, a shank having a closer end which is attached to the handgrip, tissue acting actuators (26, 27) installed at the further end of the shank, a string configured to move the actuators, the further end of the string being connected to said actuators and the closer end being connected to the lever, the string being placed inside the shank and the movement of the lever being coupled with movement of the actuators (26, 27), an integrated latching mechanism, comprising a toothed bar and a latch, designed to hold the actuators (26, 27) in an operating position by holding the lever position in relation to the handgrip, and a locking and releasing mechanism equipped with a switching lever rotatably mounted on the handgrip and having a locking position and a release position to hold the latching mechanism to engage and to disengage the latching mechanism respectively, characterised in that the handgrip is provided with a first socket and a second socket and the switching lever is provided with a pushback element, wherein in the release position of the switching lever the pushback element is located in the second socket, rests against the toothed bar and disengages the latching mechanism in such a way that the toothed bar is moved away from the latch so that a surface of teeth is without contact with a surface of the latch, wherein in the locking position of the switching lever the pushback element is located in the first socket and away from the toothed bar of the latching mechanism so that a surface of teeth comes into contact with a surface of the latch.