A laparoscopic instrument comprising a handgrip , an articulated lever , a shank having a closer end which is attached to the handgrip , tissue acting actuators 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 , an integrated latching mechanism , comprising a toothed bar and a latch , designed to hold the actuators 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 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 , an integrated latching mechanism , comprising a toothed bar and a latch , designed to hold the actuators 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 . <EOS>