diff --git a/java/ql/lib/change-notes/2022-09-20-CompilationUnit-simple-name-type.md b/java/ql/lib/change-notes/2022-09-20-CompilationUnit-simple-name-type.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ce21f6e180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/ql/lib/change-notes/2022-09-20-CompilationUnit-simple-name-type.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+category: feature
+---
+* Added the predicate `CompilationUnit.getATypeAvailableBySimpleName()`.
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/CompilationUnit.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/CompilationUnit.qll
index 9b4b58e9a9b..621750b9098 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/CompilationUnit.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/CompilationUnit.qll
@@ -31,5 +31,50 @@ class CompilationUnit extends Element, File {
    */
   Module getModule() { cumodule(this, result) }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a type which is available by its simple name in this compilation unit.
+   * Reasons for this can be:
+   * - The type is declared in this compilation unit as top-level type
+   * - The type is imported
+   * - The type is declared in the same package as this compilation unit
+   * - The type is declared in the package `java.lang`
+   */
+  ClassOrInterface getATypeAvailableBySimpleName() {
+    // See "Shadowing", https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se17/html/jls-6.html#jls-6.4.1
+    // Note: Currently the logic below does not consider shadowing and might have multiple results
+    // with the same type name
+    result.(TopLevelType).getCompilationUnit() = this
+    or
+    exists(ImportStaticTypeMember importDecl |
+      importDecl.getCompilationUnit() = this and
+      result = importDecl.getATypeImport()
+    )
+    or
+    exists(ImportType importDecl |
+      importDecl.getCompilationUnit() = this and
+      result = importDecl.getImportedType()
+    )
+    or
+    exists(ImportStaticOnDemand importDecl |
+      importDecl.getCompilationUnit() = this and
+      result = importDecl.getATypeImport()
+    )
+    or
+    exists(ImportOnDemandFromType importDecl |
+      importDecl.getCompilationUnit() = this and
+      result = importDecl.getAnImport()
+    )
+    or
+    exists(ImportOnDemandFromPackage importDecl |
+      importDecl.getCompilationUnit() = this and
+      result = importDecl.getAnImport()
+    )
+    or
+    // From same package or java.lang, see https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se17/html/jls-7.html
+    result.(TopLevelType).getPackage() = this.getPackage()
+    or
+    result.(TopLevelType).getPackage().hasName("java.lang")
+  }
+
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "CompilationUnit" }
 }
diff --git a/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql b/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
index 7e2738af1e1..1a5862bb9e8 100644
--- a/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
+++ b/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
@@ -11,22 +11,18 @@
 
 import java
 
-RefType getTaggedType(ThrowsTag tag) {
+Class getTaggedType(ThrowsTag tag) {
   result.hasName(tag.getExceptionName()) and
-  exists(ImportType i | i.getFile() = tag.getFile() | i.getImportedType() = result)
+  result = tag.getFile().(CompilationUnit).getATypeAvailableBySimpleName()
 }
 
-predicate canThrow(Callable callable, RefType exception) {
-  exists(string uncheckedException |
-    uncheckedException = "RuntimeException" or uncheckedException = "Error"
-  |
-    exception.getAnAncestor().hasQualifiedName("java.lang", uncheckedException)
-  )
+predicate canThrow(Callable callable, Class exception) {
+  exception instanceof UncheckedThrowableType
   or
   callable.getAnException().getType().getADescendant() = exception
 }
 
-from ThrowsTag throwsTag, RefType thrownType, Callable docMethod
+from ThrowsTag throwsTag, Class thrownType, Callable docMethod
 where
   getTaggedType(throwsTag) = thrownType and
   docMethod.getDoc().getJavadoc().getAChild*() = throwsTag and