Madonna's adoption of two-year-old David Banda has been approved by a Malawi judge.

Lawyer Alan Chinula told reporters outside the courthouse in the capital Lilongwe: "It's a beautiful and positive judgement.

"Finally the court has granted Madonna full adoption rights of the boy. It's all over, thank God."

Mr Chinula said he hoped the "well-researched judgement" would help bring clarity in similar cases in the future.

He added: "This judgement will have a lot of positive impact on future adoptions."

Madonna and her filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie were not present for the judgement which had been expected following a recommendation to the court by a social worker who had visited the couple at their London home.

A court had initially granted an interim custody order 18 months ago.

David's father, Yohane Banda, had given his backing to the adoption so that his son could escape a life of poverty.

David's natural mother died when he was just a month old.

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