The Age journalists accused of hacking ALP database skip court hearing THREE journalists from The Age and a former Greens Party candidate did not appear in court as criminal proceedings over the alleged hacking of an ALP electoral database got underway this morning. Reporters Royce Millar, Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders have all been charged with gaining unauthorised access to restricted data along with former Melbourne city councillor Fraser Brindley. The four men did not appear at Melbourne Magistrates" Court for a listed mention hearing and the matter was adjourned off until next month. The hacking allegedly took place in lead-up the 2010 state election at which Mr Brindley was a Greens Party candidate for the Northern Metropolitan Region of the Legislative Council. An article by Mr McKenzie and Mr Millar, which ran in The Age in the week before the election, detailed how the Eleczilla database worked. Labor officials believe it was designed to help the Australian Greens party, which was in a bitter fight with the ALP for the inner-Melbourne seats of Brunswick, Northcote, Richmond and Melbourne. State Parliament's Electoral Matters Committee is likely to probe the Greens Party's role in the alleged hacking when the matter has been dealt with by the courts. The journalists are accused of illegally accessing and searching the private details of dozens of high-profile Victorians on a Labor database that holds personal information, including political preferences. The four men are due to appear before Melbourne Magistrates" Court on June 20.