The applicant and his co-accused were charged in the regional court with robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and (in respect of the co-accused) unlawful possession of a firearm, arising from a robbery committed on 14 January 2014 in Kwa-Thema. The charge sheet expressly referred to s 51(2) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 (minimum sentencing legislation). Both accused had previous convictions for robbery with aggravating circumstances. They were convicted, and in the absence of substantial and compelling circumstances, the prescribed minimum sentences were imposed, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment for the applicant. Leave to appeal was refused by the regional court and later by the Gauteng High Court. The applicant’s petition for special leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal was also dismissed. He thereafter applied to the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal under s 17(2)(f) of the Superior Courts Act 10 of 2013, relying mainly on the fact that his co-accused later succeeded on appeal in having his sentence reduced.