Black's Law Dictionary,
Sixth Edition, p. 1536
Unlawful. That which is contrary to, prohibited, or
unauthorized by law.
That which is not lawful. The acting contrary to, or in defiance
of the law; disobeying or disregarding the law.
Term is equivalent to “without
excuse or justification.” State v. Noble, 90 N.M. 360,
563 P.2d 1153, 1157. While necessarily not implying the element
of criminality, it is broad enough to include it.
[Black's Law Dictionary,
Sixth Edition, p. 1536]
See also "illegal"
"Acts generally lawful may become unlawful when done to accomplish an
unlawful end. United States v. Reading Co., 226 U.S. 34, 357,
33 Supp.Ct. 90, 57 L.Ed. 243, and a constitutional power cannot be used
by way of condition to attain an unconstitutional result...The regulation
in question is quite as great an inteference as a tax of the kind that
repeated decisions have held void. It cannot be justified 'under
that somewhat ambiguous term of police powers."
[Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Foster, 247 U.S. 105; 38 S.Ct. 438 (1918)]