INSTANCIA

In Spanish law. The institution and prosecution of a suit from its commencemeqt until definitive judgment The first instance, “primera instancia,” is the prosecution of the Buit before the judge competent to take cognizance of it at its inception; the second instance, “secunda itstancia,” is the exercise of the same action before the court of appellate jurisdiction; and the third instance, “tercera instoncio,” is the prosecution of the same suit, either hy an application of revision before the appellate tribunal that has already decided the cause, or before some higher tribunal, having jurisdiction of the same. Escriche.