There's no need to null test in conjunction with an ``++instanceof++`` test. ``++null++`` is not an ``++instanceof++`` anything, so a null check is redundant.
=== Noncompliant code example
[source,java]
----
if (x != null && x instanceof MyClass) { ... } // Noncompliant
if (x == null || ! x instanceof MyClass) { ... } // Noncompliant