Lord Carey has criticised a top judge's comments that courts are "no longer Christian" in multi-cultural Britain.

Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division of the High Court, said in a speech in London this week that, as Britain was a multicultural nation, judges must take an "essentially neutral view of religious beliefs" and should not "weigh one religion against another".

"Once upon a time, the perceived function of the judges was to promote virtue and discourage vice and immorality," he said. "I doubt one would now hear that from the judicial bench."

Writing in the Daily Mail, Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, challenged his view, saying that Britain's legal system had its roots in Christian ethics and that the Christian faith was the foundation of British culture.

He also warned that Christianity was being increasingly marginalised in British society.

"The concepts of honesty, personal responsibility, opposition to violence, concern for others and respect for their property — which are all part of the fabric of our laws — lie at the heart of the gospels," he said.

"Tragically, this rich and inspiring heritage is now under attack as never before.

"Our Christian identity is being ruthlessly marginalised.

"No longer regarded by officialdom as the bulwark of our society's moral code, it is increasingly treated as a minority fad or even a dangerous anachronism."