Unused method AbstractMemberWriter.isInherited

SonarCloud reports the issue here:
  "Correct one of the identical sub-expressions on both sides of equals."

    protected boolean isInherited(Element ped){
        return (!utils.isPrivate(ped) &&
                (!utils.isPackagePrivate(ped) ||
                    ped.getEnclosingElement().equals(ped.getEnclosingElement()))); // <-- here
    }

This might point to a real bug?