Ruling due on Madonna adoption bid

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The country's highest court is expected to announce its decision on her appeal following an earlier refusal, according to her lawyer.

The pop star appealed after a lower court rejected her application to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, a four-year-old girl, in April.

A judge and a lawyer told reporters that the 50-year-old 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 clear why Judge Esme Chombo ruled differently.

At the time the decision was welcomed by development agency Plan which said it could not condone "whisking a single child off to a fairytale lifestyle in Hollywood".

And international development charity EveryChild said it was pleased the adoption had not been rushed through the country's courts and was concerned that it may not have been in the best interests of the child.

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."