the real reason

It has become increasingly common for UKBA to concede a case before it reaches court. This avoids UKBA having to pay for Counsel to attend a hearing, enables Ministers to bang on about how few immigration judicial reviews are successful at court (only because UKBA concede so many cases after they have been lodged but before they go to court!) and, at its worst, it manipulates the justice system so that only the weakest cases go forward to become precedents. It also forces claimants to go to the expense of lodging claims and instructing lawyers, only for UKBA to concede the case late when it could and should have been conceded early. It is abusive behaviour by the UK Border Agency.

http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2011/...case-on-costs/