Unlawful detention

Unlawful detention is custody imposed without lawful authority — without warrant where one is required, beyond the authorized duration, in violation of statutory limits, or without the procedural protections the law provides. Concrete forms include holding individuals past authorized timeframes, expanding civil detention regimes beyond their statutory bounds, and using emergency powers to authorize detention regimes ordinary law does not permit. Routine lawful arrest and detention within statutory limits is not unlawful; the abuse is custody that outruns the law.