This obscurity is all the more remarkable when one considers that the court's members are all appointed by the governor, are confirmed at public hearings and often issue rulings that wind up at the core of public debate on such issues as abortion, property owners' rights and prisoner sentencing.

But if a group of Republican conservatives have their way, a major public debate will be held this year on the fitness for office of two High Court jurists who voted to overturn a decade-old law that requires teen-age girls to get the consent of a parent or judge in order to obtain an abortion.

The issue arouses anger among conservatives, who view the 1997 decision as an improper infringement on the rights of parents to raise their children and the governor's and Legislature's right to approve legislation.

The targets of the conservatives' ire are Chief Justice Ronald George and Justice Ming Chin, who were decisive votes to overturn a decision that earlier had been rendered by the court that upheld the parental consent law.

The irony is that both justices are Republicans, both were appointed by a Republican governor and both were supported at confirmation by Attorney General Dan Lungren, an anti-abortion Republican who is running for governor in November. Indeed, most of California's judges were appointed by Republican governors during the past 16 years.

Mainstream members of the California Republican Party are hesitant to engage in a debate on so emotional issue, believing -- probably correctly -- that it will hurt Lungren's election chances. Polls show that most voters favor abortion rights, and a highly visible political debate on the issue could crystallize the disparity between Lungren's position and that of the electorate.

But this weekend, despite the CRP's wishes, the seeds were sown for a major political fight over abortion and parental consent when a small group of GOP conservatives vowed to take the issue to the public in order to defeat George and Ming at the polls in November.

At a meeting in Anaheim, the conservatives called for a thorough review of the justices' performance in office. A panel headed by conservative state Sen. Ray Haynes called the Judicial Evaluations Committee has been set up to examine the court and make recommendations to the CRP at its convention in September.

This means that the issue, aided by Democrats sensing a chance for political gain, likely will come to voters' attention just weeks before election day when the electorate begins to seriously focus on the ballot.

This could pose a major problem for Lungren. Lungren's election is critical for Republicans, because as governor he would have veto power over the critical redistricting maps that will be drawn up by the Democrat-controlled Legislature to account for changes in the census. Once a decade, the party in power redraws the political boundaries for the Assembly, Senate and Congress.

If a Democrat is elected and approves boundaries that favor Democrats, there is a very real chance that the Republicans' narrow majority in the House of Representatives could be eliminated, and that Republicans would be all but powerless in the Legislature. Therefore, a lot is riding on Lungren's election.

The CRP knows this, and has been trying to avoid a full-blown abortion debate. But if the conservatives in Anaheim press forward, the abortion issue could become a flashpoint of the election -- harming Lungren along with George and Chin.

Thus far, the controversy hasn't captured the public's notice. But that time is coming.

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