4° remove detained persons without an order from the lawful authority 5° refuse to provide their records to the same authorities. Article 251: Any magistrate or judicial police officer who provokes, gives or signs a judgment, order or warrant for the prosecution, indictment or arrest of a person without having obtained the prior authorizations that may be required by law, is punished by imprisonment of three months to one year. Article 252: Magistrates or judicial police officers who detain or cause to be detained a person outside the places or beyond the time limits specified by the legislation in force shall be punished by imprisonment of three months to one year. Section 3: Interfering with administrative and judicial authorities Article 253: Shall be punishable by imprisonment of six months to three years: 1° magistrates who interfere in the exercise of legislative power, in particular by stopping or suspending the execution of one or more laws; 2° magistrates and judicial police officers who act beyond their powers by interfering in the attributions of administrative authorities, in particular by issuing regulations falling within the competence of these authorities and by forbidding the execution of their orders; 3° prefects, sub-prefects, mayors and other administrators who interfere in the exercise of legislative or judicial power, or who issue orders or bans of any kind to courts or tribunals or who impede the execution of judicial decisions. Section 4: Common provisions Article 254: In all cases provided for in this chapter, the judge may deprive the convicted person of the rights referred to in article 68. CHAPTER 6: OFFENSES AGAINST OFFICE DUTIES COMMITTED BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS Article 255: For the purposes of this law, a public official is defined as: 1° any natural person who holds an elective, executive, administrative, military, paramilitary or judicial position, whether appointed or elected, on a permanent or temporary basis, whether paid or not, and regardless of his or her hierarchical level; 2° any person who performs a public duty, including for a public entity or a public enterprise, or who provides a public service;