A former Archbishop of Canterbury says parliament needs to come to the “rescue” of Muslim women “trapped in bad marriages”.

Lord Carey, who was head of the Church of England for 11 years from 1991, was speaking in a House of Lords debate yesterday.

Peers were debating a bill proposed to reduce the power of sharia courts by making the law fairer for women currently discriminated by religious rules trying to escape violent or oppressive marriages.

The bill, first proposed last May by Lady Caroline Cox, is seeking to create a single law for all people.

Lord Carey, a crossbench peer who championed improving relations with other faiths during his time as Archbishop, said that parliament needed to “come to the rescue".

He said parliament exists to clarify the law and help "those unsure of their rights” such as Muslim women who face “intimidation and threats” when they try to “free themselves”.

"We must correct abuses by strengthening existing laws to ensure that Muslim women and other groups have the same rights as men." Lord Carey

He said: “Whenever there are loopholes, whenever there is confusion, whenever a minority of sharia courts exist to trump civil law, we must correct abuses by strengthening existing laws to ensure that Muslim women and other groups have the same rights as men.

“All that the noble Baroness wishes to address is already there in current laws. All we need to do is apply them.

"It is understandable that new citizens to our country will inevitably bring with them their cultural and religious expectations, and for the most part they are welcome to do so.

"Sometimes though some of those traditions may collide sharply with the resident nation and raise questions about compatibility. Such is the case when it comes to marital relationships when they appear before sharia courts.

"However, we must all conform to standards expected by civil law in its commitment to uphold justice for everyone.”

Baroness Cox, an independent peer, said she wants the bill to end the “suffering of women oppressed by religiously sanctioned gender discrimination”.

“Provisions must be introduced to ensure that the operation of sharia law principles in the UK today is not undermining the rights of women and the rule of law,” Baroness Cox said.

The bill was receiving its second reading in the House of Lords and will be discussed once more by peers before passing to the House of Commons for MPs to debate.