Judge Delays Madonna's Adoption Hearing

LATEST: A judge at Malawi's High Court has postponed MADONNA's adoption hearing until next week (begs19May08).

The pop superstar and her director husband Guy Ritchie's adoption of two-year-old David Banda was expected to be finalised on Thursday (15May08).

But the judge overseeing the case has cancelled Thursday's court date in order to allow him more time to liaise with adoption officials.

Madonna's lawyer, Alan Chinula, says, "We are finished with the proceedings today from our side, and the judge has decided to reserve his ruling on the case until next week because he has to review the recommendations from the Malawi Human Rights Commission on the adoption laws of Malawi."

A new date for the court hearing - which Madonna and Ritchie are not required to attend - is due to be announced in the next few days.

The judge's final ruling will end a 20-month long saga, since Madonna brought Banda back to the U.K. from a Malawian orphanage in October 2006, when he was just 13 months old.