What does “en banc” mean?

Some Texas appellate courts have three justices, and some have more than three. For a court of appeals with more than three justices, three justices are generally assigned to each appeal. For a court of appeals with more than three justices, when all of the justices on the court of appeals considers a case, the court of appeals is considering the case “en banc.” For example, the Fifth District Court of Appeals at Dallas has thirteen justices. When all thirteen of those justices consider a case, the court is considering the case en banc. The phrase “en banc” is French for “before the entire bench.” The literal translation for “en banc” is “in bench.” “En banc” is pronounced ahn-bahnk, with both vowels sounding like the first letter of the word “opposite.”

Back to Frequently Asked Questions