The Bishops had taken its appeal to the High Court in Canberra, and the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) is asking the court for permission to be heard in the matter.

WEL convenor Lisa Solomon said the group would question the legitimacy of the church's involvement, and ask to be its chief opponent if the case went ahead.

"This is important from women's perspective, because it will be setting the agenda for whether the Catholic Church is actually a legitimate party in this matter," she said.

"If they do determine that the Catholic Church has got something that needs to be heard in the High Court, then WEL is saying we want to be heard too."

Ms Solomon said a church victory would set a dangerous precedent. "If the Catholic Church succeeds in its quest, the rights of one group, in this case yet to be conceived children, will take precedence over the rights of another group, Australian women," she said.

Church spokesman Warwick Neville said WEL's application seemed premature, considering commonwealth and state attorneys-general would not be present at today's directions hearing.

"In the absence of those parties indicating to the High Court what their position is, it is premature to be determining any other applications, it seems to us," Dr Neville said.

The federal government last year introduced legislation overruling the Federal Court decision, which found the state laws were inconsistent with federal sex discrimination laws.

The Sex Discrimination Amendment Bill has passed through the House of Representatives, and is due to be debated in the Senate in the next few months.