Abstract: A surgical suturing instrument including a first jaw carrying a capsule which contains a suture having needles attached to its ends, a second jaw for receiving the needles and cooperating with the first jaw to clamp tissue to be sutured, a plunger in the first jaw for transferring the needles from the capsule to the second jaw through the clamped tissue, an actuator arm for successively moving the first jaw to closed position and operating the plunger, a common pivotal mounting for the jaws and the arm, and a latch member pivotally mounted on the first jaw for selectively interconnecting the first jaw with the arm and with the second jaw in succession as the arm is moved in a jaw-closing direction, so that such movement of the arm first closes the jaws and thereafter operates the plunger while the jaws are interlocked. The capsule has a notched bobbin for holding a U-shaped suture with the bight of the suture received in the notch.