"lex lata" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "lēx lāta",
        "4": "",
        "5": "the law borne"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin lēx lāta (“the law borne”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Latin lēx lāta (“the law borne”) (see below).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "lex lata (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Law",
          "orig": "en:Law",
          "parents": [
            "Justice",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "1997, Lyal S Sunga, The Emerging System of International Criminal Law http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN9041104720&id=Dbb8eQH-vbQC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&sig=3A8fBOXMx7bQAO7AWXOIUA6Lzyw\nAt that point, little purpose would be served in maintaining categories fashioned so closely to the lex lata that the Code would crystallize traditional technical distinctions."
        },
        {
          "text": "2000, Nikolaos K. Tsagourias, The Jurisprudence of International Law http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0719054656&id=V_YiUMuaIQwC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&sig=Gpm22qlBVtypDtVqQreLbz6pDrw\nThis also betrays an interest in transforming world order by approximating lex lata with lex ferenda."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, Netherlands Yearbook of International Law, 2001 http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN9067041556&id=7tV2LgZzjn8C&lpg=PA5&pg=PA4&sig=tqI91yfti-e5shuss0twPraRca8",
          "text": "Lex ferenda serves as a label for something which has at least conceptual existence, as a contrast or opposite to lex lata, the law that exists and obliges the subjects of law to adopt, or to refrain from, certain defined courses of conduct in certain defined circumstances."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The law as it is."
      ],
      "id": "en-lex_lata-en-noun-Ul~v05aN",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) The law as it is."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "lex lata"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "lēx lāta",
        "4": "",
        "5": "the law borne"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin lēx lāta (“the law borne”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Latin lēx lāta (“the law borne”) (see below).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "lex lata (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms borrowed from Latin",
        "English terms derived from Latin",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "1997, Lyal S Sunga, The Emerging System of International Criminal Law http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN9041104720&id=Dbb8eQH-vbQC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&sig=3A8fBOXMx7bQAO7AWXOIUA6Lzyw\nAt that point, little purpose would be served in maintaining categories fashioned so closely to the lex lata that the Code would crystallize traditional technical distinctions."
        },
        {
          "text": "2000, Nikolaos K. Tsagourias, The Jurisprudence of International Law http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0719054656&id=V_YiUMuaIQwC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&sig=Gpm22qlBVtypDtVqQreLbz6pDrw\nThis also betrays an interest in transforming world order by approximating lex lata with lex ferenda."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, Netherlands Yearbook of International Law, 2001 http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN9067041556&id=7tV2LgZzjn8C&lpg=PA5&pg=PA4&sig=tqI91yfti-e5shuss0twPraRca8",
          "text": "Lex ferenda serves as a label for something which has at least conceptual existence, as a contrast or opposite to lex lata, the law that exists and obliges the subjects of law to adopt, or to refrain from, certain defined courses of conduct in certain defined circumstances."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The law as it is."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) The law as it is."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "lex lata"
}