Madonna granted second Malawi adoption

Madonna has won her appeal to adopt a second child from Malawi, according to BBC News.

The singer was denied the right to adopt four-year-old Mercy James in April after the court claimed that she had not fulfilled the necessary residency requirements.

Delivering the appeal court's verdict, Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo said that the initial ruling had failed to take into account the star's commitment to helping disadvantaged children in the African country.

"In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by intention. She is looking after several orphans whose welfare depends on her. She can therefore not be described as a sojourner," he said.

He went on to say that Madonna is "financially stable" and would be able to provide the child with a better life than could otherwise be expected.

"[Mercy James has two options] - either to stay at the orphanage without the love of 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," he said.

Speaking to The AP, a lawyer for Madonna said: "It's the wee hours of morning in New York but she is excited at the news. As her lawyer I am happy that this has settled this contentious issue."

He added that a passport would now be arranged for Mercy but warned that the process could take several days and that no travel plans are confirmed yet.