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LILONGWE - Madonna may want to keep her baby -- but now she's got a fight on her hands.
Malawi's high court today allowed human rights groups to challenge the pop star's interim adoption of a one-year-old Malawian boy, opening the door for a full judicial review of a case which has attracted worldwide headlines.
A coalition of 67 rights groups had sought permission to lodge a court challenge against the interim adoption, which saw the 48-year-old star whisk one-year old David Banda from a Malawi orphanage to her London home in October.
The rights groups had argued that the speedy granting of the interim adoption order violated Malawi's decades-old ban on adoptions by non-residents.
Judge Andrew Nyirenda said the rights groups, who were later joined by Malawi's Human Rights Commission, had demonstrated there was a case to be heard.
"The applicants have made it clear that they would not be commenting on the facts, but only critical areas of law because of the importance of the matters under consideration so that appropriate jurisprudence be developed for future guidance," he said in his ruling.
The ruling marked a setback for Madonna, who visited Malawi with her husband, film maker Guy Ritchie, in October on what they said was a humanitarian mission to help Malawi orphans.
Her plans to adopt David Banda were quickly complicated by the appearance of the boy's father Yohane Banda, who said he had not been properly advised of the singer's plan to take his son away permanently.
David Banda had lived in an orphanage since the death of his mother.
Madonna already has two children -- daughter Lourdes, 10 and son Rocco, 6. She told the BBC she was shocked at the furore over her Malawi adoption plan, and hoped that African countries could change their adoption laws to enable more children to find new homes.
Under the interim adoption order, David Banda was due to stay with Madonna for 18 months during which time his progress would be monitored by Malawi officials before final approval could be given for him to remain with her family.
Madonna funds orphanages through her Raising Malawi charity and is setting up an orphanage outside the capital, Lilongwe.
- REUTERS
