Madonna's appeal of a court ruling denying her request to adopt a 3-year-old girl from Malawi will be heard next month, a court official said Monday.

The pop star is not required to be present for the appeal, which may last two weeks. Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's representative, said Monday she did not believe that Madonna would attend.

Joseph Chigona, Registrar of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal, said the case will come before three judges from the Supreme Court of Appeal on May 4.

"As with all court cases involving infants, this one will be in chambers, not in an open court," Chigona said.

Madonna has said she still wants to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James. The singer has already adopted a son, David, from Malawi, a poor country in southern Africa.

Malawi requires prospective parents to live in the country for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability — a rule that was not applied when Madonna was allowed to take David to London in 2006.