A suture passing instrument comprising: a proximal handle and an elongated distal shaft having a distal end; a grasping mechanism positioned adjacent to the distal end, the grasping mechanism including a top jaw and a bottom jaw, at least one of the top jaw and the bottom jaw hinged to the shaft at a position proximal to the distal end, the grasping mechanism operationally coupled to the handle for opening and closing the top jaw and the bottom jaw with respect to one another at the distal end; a suture needle longitudinally positionable within and distally deployable from the shaft, the needle having an open-sided notch engageable with the intermediate portion of suture, for passing the suture when the needle is deployed from the shaft, the needle operationally coupled to the handle for positioning and deployment; a slot extending vertically through the top jaw and the bottom jaw and extending proximally from the distal end to a slot end within the bottom jaw, the bottom jaw defining an axis and a needle channel that guides the suture needle along the needle channel to a channel exit, the slot having a slot width tapering proximally toward the slot end for frictionally retaining an intermediate portion of a length of suture; wherein the bottom jaw comprises a top, a bottom, and a forked distal end that defines an end slot extending through the bottom jaw from the top to the bottom, the end slot leading to a suture-slot that extends axially along the bottom jaw from the forked distal end, characterized in that the suture slot extends through the bottom jaw from the top to the bottom in communication with and in substantial alignment with the needle channel. a proximal handle and an elongated distal shaft having a distal end; a grasping mechanism positioned adjacent to the distal end, the grasping mechanism including a top jaw and a bottom jaw, at least one of the top jaw and the bottom jaw hinged to the shaft at a position proximal to the distal end, the grasping mechanism operationally coupled to the handle for opening and closing the top jaw and the bottom jaw with respect to one another at the distal end; a suture needle longitudinally positionable within and distally deployable from the shaft, the needle having an open-sided notch engageable with the intermediate portion of suture, for passing the suture when the needle is deployed from the shaft, the needle operationally coupled to the handle for positioning and deployment; a slot extending vertically through the top jaw and the bottom jaw and extending proximally from the distal end to a slot end within the bottom jaw, the bottom jaw defining an axis and a needle channel that guides the suture needle along the needle channel to a channel exit, the slot having a slot width tapering proximally toward the slot end for frictionally retaining an intermediate portion of a length of suture; wherein the bottom jaw comprises a top, a bottom, and a forked distal end that defines an end slot extending through the bottom jaw from the top to the bottom, the end slot leading to a suture-slot that extends axially along the bottom jaw from the forked distal end, characterized in that the suture slot extends through the bottom jaw from the top to the bottom in communication with and in substantial alignment with the needle channel.