"When you stop travelling, you have arrived at the goal,'' a visibly pleased Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux yesterday told a courtroom as the Bermuda Fire civil suit was officially wrapped up.

Mr. Justice Meerabux's remarks followed the full acceptance of the case's settlement by all legal counsel involved.

With the custom-built courtroom now stripped of its formidable stacks of document files, it was hard to find anyone in Supreme Court who wasn't smiling: "We're all very happy,'' said BF&M chief executive officer Glenn Titterton.

He added, "The case shouldn't have gone to court in the first place.'' Representing the corporate defence team, Elizabeth Gloster QC and colleague Richard Millett were among the few remaining lawyers present for the case's final conclusion. Most of the British lawyers had lost no time jetting off to their next assignments after the $35 million settlement announcement adjourned the litigation.

After Tuesday's acceptance of the settlement at a meeting of the BF&M shareholders' association, all that remained was the brief formality of shutting down the multi-million civil suit.

"I recall a conversation between a teacher and a student,'' Justice Meerabux told the assembled, "in which the student asked the teacher if the path to enlightenment was difficult or easy. The teacher told him it was neither. The student asked, `Why not?' The teacher answered: `Because it isn't there.' The student asked, `Then how do I travel to the goal?''' Attaining the goal, Justice Meerabux said, came from understanding that the journey was not important. He then wished those present a happy Christmas.

The Bermuda Stock Exchange said yesterday that trading in common shares of BF&M will resume on the BSX at 9 a.m. today. This follows the litigation against the company being dismissed by the courts. At the request of the company, the BSX said it has lifted the trading suspension.

BUSINESS BUC