3° any person entrusted, even occasionally, with a public service or mission, acting in the
exercise or on the occasion of the exercise of his duties;
4° any public or ministerial official;
5° any agent, employee or clerk of any other legal person governed by public law or of any a
public or ministerial official;
6° and in general, any other person acting in the name of the State and/or with the resources of
the State, or defined as a public official or assimilated thereto, in accordance with the regulations
in force.
Section 1: Coalition of public officials
Article 256: Punished by imprisonment of six months to three years public officials who form a
coalition and decide on:
1° measures contrary to the laws or regulations legally adopted;
2° measures against the execution of the decisions of the Administration and the Judiciary;
3° measures, in particular collective resignations, whose purpose is to prevent or suspend either
the execution of a public service or the administration of Justice.
If this coalition takes place between civil and military authorities, the offenders are sentenced to
imprisonment for two to five years.
Section 2: Abuse of authority
Art. 257. - Any public official who, acting in this capacity, has entered the home of a person
against his or her will, outside the cases provided for by law or without the formalities prescribed
by law, is punishable by imprisonment of three months to one year and a fine of 50,000 to
500,000 francs.
Article 258: Any judge who, even in the case of silence or obscurity of the law, refrains from
ruling and who, after a party has made a request, perseveres in his denial of justice, is punished
by a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 francs.
The exercise of any public duty may, in addition, be prohibited for five years.
Article 259: Any public official who, without legitimate reason, uses or causes to be used
violence against persons in the exercise or on the occasion of the exercise of his duties, shall be
punished according to the nature and gravity of such violence and the penalty shall be increased
in accordance with the rule laid down in article 106.
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