Court to rule on Madonna adoption

Madonna is set to discover if her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi has been successful. The country's highest court will announce its decision on her appeal against an earlier refusal, according to her lawyer. The pop star appealed after a lower court rejected her application to adopt four-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James, in April. The 50-year-old Ray of Light singer did not meet a requirement that prospective parents must be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months. The residency rule was waived in 2006 when Madonna was allowed to take her adopted son, David, to London before his adoption was finalised in 2008, and it was not made clear why Judge Esme Chombo ruled differently in this instance. Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of EveryChild, said high-profile adoptions sent out the wrong message and the focus should be on the work done to help vulnerable families stay together. She said: "This may be less glamorous than international adoption by pop stars but it is the only viable solution to provide safe and secure homes for all of Africa's children."

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ITN | June 12, 2009

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