== Why is this an issue?

Assertions in Java are used to test assumptions that should hold true at a certain point in the program. An assertion with a condition that is always false will fail, which can lead to unexpected program termination. Moreover, an assertion that is always false often indicates a logic error or misunderstanding in the code, which could lead to further issues.

=== Noncompliant code example

[source,java]
----
  void caller() {
    // Noncompliant: triggers an AssertionError because the array length is 2
    printFifth(new int[2]);
  }

  void printFifth(int[] a) {
    assert a.length == 5;
    System.out.println(a[4]);
  }
----