What term refers to the intentional confinement of an individual without lawful justification?

The term that describes the intentional confinement of an individual without lawful justification is false imprisonment. This legal concept involves restraining someone against their will and without any legal authority to do so. It is important to highlight that false imprisonment does not require the use of physical force; merely restricting someone's freedom to move can qualify as false imprisonment.

In legal contexts, false imprisonment can arise in various situations, such as when an individual is detained by security personnel in a store without probable cause or when a person is held in a facility without proper legal justification. The victim of false imprisonment can seek damages for the unlawful confinement, which underscores the severity and implications of such actions.

While the other terms may also refer to scenarios involving confinement or restrictions on liberty, they have distinct legal definitions and implications. For example, kidnapping typically involves the unlawful taking and carrying away of a person, usually with the intent to hold them for ransom or other purposes. Assault refers to an act that threatens harm, while unlawful detention is often a broader term that may encompass various forms of illegal confinement but does not specifically denote the intentional nature that false imprisonment clearly embodies. Thus, false imprisonment is the most precise term that matches the scenario of intentional confinement without lawful justification.