Why have civil jury trials largely disappeared in England?

In England, the use of the jury in civil cases has become largely obsolete due to legislative action. While the jury trial was once the established form for both criminal and civil matters at common law, its role in civil litigation was formally ended by statute in 1933, with the exception of specific actions such as defamation claims.123

This shift reflects a broader trend in common-law systems outside of the United States, where judges have increasingly taken on the responsibility of determining both the facts and the law in civil proceedings. While the jury remains a vital component of the English criminal justice system, its removal from most civil trials was part of a long-term modernization of legal procedures aimed at simplifying the court system and improving efficiency.423