Malawi court postpones ruling on Madonna adoption

LILONGWE, Nov 20 (Reuters) Malawi's High Court today postponed a ruling on whether rights groups could challenge pop star Madonna's adoption of a Malawian child, saying the judge was too busy.

Lawyers for both sides in the case said they hoped the court would rule next week.

''The judge has not communicated to me or my colleague but we hear that he is very busy and he might rule next week,'' said Justin Dzonzi, lawyer for the advocacy groups.

Maxwell Matewere, executive director for Eye of the Child, one of 67 advocacy groups seeking to block the adoption, told Reuters the court had informed them the judge was away for a week on official business.

Judge Andrew Chipeta is expected to decide whether the groups can challenge the interim adoption order granted to Madonna last month by the same court.

Besides the adoption challenge, Chipeta is also expected to rule on whether an additional plaintiff, the independent government watchdog Malawi Human Rights Commission, may join the suit.

Chipeta last week delayed the ruling until today to allow Madonna's local lawyer Alan Chinula time to study the arguments from the rights groups.

The American singer visited Malawi in early October on a humanitarian mission to help the poor country's orphans. She and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie were granted an interim order to take custody of one-year old David Banda shortly before leaving the country.

The boy was flown to London, where he was reunited with Madonna despite opposition from the rights groups, who argue the custody order and adoption violated a decades-old ban on adoptions by non-residents.

REUTERS AB HT1712