28 are formed at respective positions in the medial portion of the electrode surface 15 there are equally formed three evenly space electrically conductive projections 29 30 31 while on the opposite electrode surface 17 at respective positions three evenly spaced insulation components 32 33 34 are formed as can be inferred especially from fig8 when the instrument branches 2 3 are closed the insulation component 23 abuts on the projection 26 the insulation component 24 abuts on the projection 27 and the insulation component 25 abuts on the projection 28 correspondingly the insulation components and projections of the electrode surfaces 15 and 17 get into mutual contact fig1 shows an electrosurgical instrument 102 according to another embodiment which differs from the afore described instrument 1 by the type of instrument especially the design of the actuating means and the handle while all of the afore described different embodiments have been described with reference to the laparoscopic electrosurgical instrument 1 shown in fig1 having a thin elongate shaft 4 and instrument branches 2 and 3 pivotally hinged thereto as a distal jaw part the afore described variants of spacer arrangements can be equally realized in connection with the instrument 102 in which however two instrument branches 104 and 106 are connected via a slide element 108 and appropriate mimics not shown in detail the handle or grip part includes sort of a receiving hole from which the instrument branches are axially and distally projecting said hole is dimensioned so that the instrument branches when they retract via the slide element 108 into the hole are compressed by the same when the slide element 108 is advanced in the direction of the hole opening the instrument branches move out of the hole and open preferably automatically due.