diff --git a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/impl/Assert.java b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/impl/Assert.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2104c980571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/impl/Assert.java
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+*******************************************************************************
+*   Copyright (C) 2005, International Business Machines
+*   Corporation and others.  All Rights Reserved.
+*******************************************************************************
+*/
+package com.ibm.icu.impl;
+
+// 1.3 compatibility layer
+public class Assert {
+    public static void fail(Exception e) {
+        fail(e.toString()); // can't wrap exceptions in jdk 1.3
+    }
+    public static void fail(String msg) {
+        throw new InternalError("failure '" + msg + "'");
+    }
+    public static void assrt(boolean val) {
+        if (!val) throw new InternalError("assert failed");
+    }
+    public static void assrt(String msg, boolean val) {
+        if (!val) throw new InternalError("assert '" + msg + "' failed");
+    }
+}