illegality

English edit

From French illégalité, equivalent to il- +‎ legality or illegal +‎ -ity.

illegality (countable and uncountable, plural illegalities)

(law) the state of being illegal
The criminal was aware of the illegality of his act.
- 2020, Douglas G. Morris, The Ernst Fraenkel Dilemma, page 208:
  In Fraenkel’s defiance of mortality and professionalism and his skill in navigating the triple state lay part of the origins of his idea of the dual state. He answered the illegality in the Nazi prerogative state with his own commitment to illegality in both the resistance and even the legal system itself.
(law, uncountable) a defense to the validity of a contract because it was in violation of the law
When sued for refusing to pay for services provided by a prostitute, the customer raised the defense of illegality.

(law) the state of being illegal