Madonna adoption approved

Malawi's Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that pop star Madonna will, after all, be allowed to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, the four-year-old orphan she met on a charity trip to the poverty-stricken African country.

Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo said that Madonna's dedication to disadvantaged children and the work that she has put in to founding Raising Malawi, a charity which looks after 25,000 young Malawians, many of whom suffer from Aids, had influenced the decision of a three-judge panel.

Munlo said that Mercy, whose 18-year-old mother died shortly after giving birth, and whose father is unknown, faced two contrasting futures: "Either to stay at the orphanage without the love of a family and live with the possibility of destitution or be with Madonna where she is assured of love. Every child has the right to love."

The ruling overturns an earlier decision by Malawi's High Court, which said in April that Madonna should not be allowed to adopt Mercy, as she hadn't lived in Malawi for 18 months, the legally required period. Then, Judge Esme Chombo declared that "by removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts by their pronouncements could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals".

Madonna, who has already adopted another Malawian, three-year-old David Banda, was said to be thrilled. ·