illegality; unlawfulness
Primarily a legal term referring to the quality or state of being illegal. Often used in formal contexts such as law, contracts, and official discussions.
The illegality of the act was disputed in court.
Point out the unlawfulness of the contract.
不法 also means 'illegal' or 'unlawful', but is often used in broader contexts (e.g., 不法侵入 'trespassing'). 違法性 is more abstract and formal.
punishable illegality
justifiable cause for noncompliance with the law; grounds for justification
Compound of 違法 (illegal) + 性 (-ness, -ity). The suffix 性 is commonly used to form abstract nouns indicating a quality or property.