以上术语均用于指法院审理案件时的一种法庭组成形式。其中，full court (也称为full bench)为“全席法庭”，指由法院所有法官所组成的一种法庭，通常目的是为听审就抗辩的辩论 (arguments on demurrers)，重新审判的动议（motion for new trial) 等[1]。court in bank (也称为court en banc)为“全席听审”，是指由法院所有法官或法定数额(quorum)的法官出席所组成的法庭听证会，受理很少一些事项，事实上，court in bank 或 court en banc 在多数情况均等同 full court [2] 。panel (of judges) 则为数个法官所组成的“合议庭”，尤指上诉审法庭 。如上诉法院共有9名法官，9名法官共同组成一个法庭审理诉讼则为full court，其也可分为3组，即组成3个法庭各自审理案件，此时的法庭则为“合议庭” (panel) 。

[1]“A court session that is attended by all the court's judges；an en banc court." Cf.

Bryan A. Gamerf Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 358, West Group (1999).

[2]“A meeting of all the judges of a court, usually for the purposes of hearing arguments on demurrers, motions, for new trial, etc , as distinguished from sessions of the same court presided over by a single judge or panel of judges." Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 245, West Publishing Co. (1991 ).

[3]“A set of judges selected from a complete court to decide a specific case；esp. a group of three judges designated to sit for an appellate court." Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary，7th edition, at p. 1135，West Group (1999).