En Banc refers to what type of court session?

• A. A session in which the entire bench of the court participates in the decision.
• B. A conference of only the panel of three judges.
• C. A private meeting of the clerk and the judge.
• D. A session held by the trial court for preliminary matters.

Answer: (A)

When a court sits en banc, the entire bench participates in the decision. In appellate systems, many cases are decided by a smaller panel of judges, but an en banc session brings all active judges together to rule on the matter. This ensures the decision represents the full court’s view and can help address important or unsettled issues more uniformly. The other descriptions don’t fit en banc: a conference of only three judges is just a regular panel; a private meeting of the clerk and judge isn’t a court session; and a trial court session for preliminary matters is not an appellate en banc proceeding.