diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/util/error.js b/lib/jsdoc/util/error.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ff061989..00000000
--- a/lib/jsdoc/util/error.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Helper functions for handling errors.
- *
- * @deprecated As of JSDoc 3.3.0. This module may be removed in a future release. Use the module
- * {@link module:jsdoc/util/logger} to log warnings and errors.
- * @module jsdoc/util/error
- */
-/**
- * Log an exception as an error.
- *
- * Prior to JSDoc 3.3.0, this method would either log the exception (if lenient mode was enabled) or
- * re-throw the exception (default).
- *
- * In JSDoc 3.3.0 and later, lenient mode has been replaced with strict mode, which is disabled by
- * default. If strict mode is enabled, calling the `handle` method causes JSDoc to exit immediately,
- * just as if the exception had been re-thrown.
- *
- * @deprecated As of JSDoc 3.3.0. This module may be removed in a future release.
- * @param {Error} e - The exception to log.
- * @memberof module:jsdoc/util/error
- */
-exports.handle = e => {
-    const logger = require('jsdoc/util/logger');
-    let msg = e ? ( e.message || JSON.stringify(e) ) : '';
-
-    // include the error type if it's an Error object
-    if (e instanceof Error) {
-        msg = `${e.name}: ${msg}`;
-    }
-
-    logger.error(msg);
-};
diff --git a/test/specs/jsdoc/util/error.js b/test/specs/jsdoc/util/error.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 5c1a10b4..00000000
--- a/test/specs/jsdoc/util/error.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-describe('jsdoc/util/error', () => {
-    const error = require('jsdoc/util/error');
-    const handle = error.handle;
-    const logger = require('jsdoc/util/logger');
-
-    it('should exist', () => {
-        expect(error).toBeDefined();
-        expect(typeof error).toBe('object');
-    });
-
-    it('should export a "handle" function', () => {
-        expect(handle).toBeDefined();
-        expect(typeof handle).toBe('function');
-    });
-
-    describe('handle', () => {
-        it('should not throw', () => {
-            expect(handle).not.toThrow();
-        });
-
-        it('should log messages with logger.error()', () => {
-            spyOn(logger, 'error');
-            handle('test');
-
-            expect(logger.error).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        });
-
-        it('should use special formatting for Error instances', () => {
-            spyOn(logger, 'error');
-            handle( new Error('Oh no!') );
-
-            expect(logger.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Error: Oh no!');
-        });
-    });
-});