What term describes the unlawful detention against the will of a person?

False imprisonment is defined as the unlawful restraint of an individual against their will. It involves a situation where someone is intentionally confined without lawful justification, preventing them from leaving a location or moving freely. This concept is often applied in both civil law contexts and criminal cases. It emphasizes the violation of personal liberty, where an individual is held without consent and without a legal basis, making it a tort in civil cases and possibly a crime when it involves malicious intent.

The other terms listed describe different legal concepts. Legal detention occurs under lawful circumstances, such as when law enforcement officials detain someone based on probable cause. Criminal custody pertains to the detention of an individual who has been formally charged with a crime and is in the legal custody of law enforcement following arrest. Involuntary confinement refers to scenarios such as mental health commitments, where an individual may be confined against their will but under legal protocols according to mental health laws. Each of these alternatives does not encapsulate the same illegal nature inherent to false imprisonment, which is characterized by the absence of legal justification for the restraint.