Abstract: A surgical instrument for holding a suture needle is disclosed. The instrument is of scissors configuration with elongated arms having finger loops at one end and jaws at the other end to grasp a suture needle. This improved instrument has specialized jaws containing a transverse channel that securely holds a suture needle at a right angle to the axis of the needle holder. The width of the transverse channel automatically adjusts to the size of the suture needle as it is being placed in the needle holder. This improved configuration significantly reduces the long standing problem of suture needle twisting or rotation in the needle holder jaws as the surgeon passes the needle through tissue.