Arbitral procedure under French law is subject to several principles and this profusion appears to have been intensified by the Decree of 13 january 2011 (in particular due to the principles of equality between the parties, speed or loyalty in the conduct of proceedings). This proliferation, which is generally welcomed, raises questions about the compatibility and legal nature of these concepts. Some of these concepts cannot in reality be described as principles, but merely maxirns with a behavioural and incentivising value. It therefore seems that a distinction can be drawn between constituent principles and persuasive principles in proceedings, and this distinction reveals a tension, potentially a fruitful one, between concepts that fall within the moral or technical vocabulary and anchor points for the conduct and validity of the arbitral proceedings.