Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have been deemed “perfect parents” by a judge in Malawi, who made their adoption of little David Banda official on Wednesday, May 28.

It took a while but the Ciccone-Ritchie family can rest assured now. Little David Banda, whom Madonna first laid eyes on while in Malawi to help build an orphanage, is now an official member of the family.

Justice Andrew Nyirenda issued the ruling Wednesday, approving Madonna’s adoption of the little boy. David Banda has been living with the pop singer, her husband and their two children Lola and Rocco, since late 2006.

Malawi’s High Court delayed its ruling on the adoption last week in order to review a report from Malawi’s Human Rights Commission. The report said Madonna’s adoption of the toddler would be illegal, because the law prevents foreigners from adopting children in Malawi.

A person has to live in Malawi for at least 18 months in order to qualify as resident, a period of time which Madonna has not spent in the country. The government has been criticized for favoring the American singer.

Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Dorothy Nyasulu told Reuters South Africa last week that officials wished to ascertain the adoption conformed with international conventions on child rights, “otherwise, as it stands, everything is illegal and the person who wants to adopt the child does not qualify until the judge finds solutions to it.”

Nyasulu said Wednesday the commission was content with the ruling. “The judge considered our arguments and has cited several cases in Haiti and other countries and cited the convention on child rights,” she said.

Justice Nyirenda said he had found Madonna and Ritchie were “perfect parents.”

Madonna said last week, while at the Cannes Film Festival where her documentary “I Am Because We Are” was screened outside the official festival, that the criticism she faced over her wish to adopt David had been difficult to deal with.

She also said she hoped her case would help make adoption an easier process in Malawi, where approximately 1 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. David’s mother died when he was still a baby. His father placed him in an orphanage because he could not care for him.

Madonna and Ritchie are also parents to Lola, 11, and Rocco, 7.